Aridai Castaneda was just finishing up her shift at the McDonald’s on the corner of Wells and Adams streets Friday afternoon when a crowd of teenagers began fighting inside, she said. While fights inside the Loop restaurant weren’t unusual, this was the first time one ended in gunshots.
About a block away from the Quincy CTA Station, a 14-year-old boy was wounded in the leg, according to Chicago police. An unknown gunman opened fire toward the teen, who was standing in the 100 block of South Wells Street around 4:20 p.m., police reported. The teen was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital in stable condition.
Castaneda described the incident, saying the fighting inside the McDonald’s started around 3:40 p.m. “We hit the panic button,” she recalled. “It was a lot, like a huge crowd of kids just fighting inside.” The crowd eventually moved outside but lingered nearby.
By 4:05 p.m., Castaneda had finished her shift and was heading home when she passed by a group of teens lingering near the restaurant. Farther up Wells Street, she saw three people fighting. “It was two against one,” she said. “One was on the ground, the other two were beating on him. One was stomping on him, the other was punching him. And then after that, that’s when I heard the gunshots.”
She immediately turned and ran back inside the McDonald’s. About half an hour later, she remained at the restaurant, where yellow police tape was strung across Wells Street, blocking off the crime scene. A small crowd of onlookers gathered at the northeast and northwest corners of Wells and Adams as officers surveyed the area. The restaurant’s glass-door entrance off Wells was shattered.
According to Castaneda, fights are a regular occurrence at the restaurant. “They’re always doing it. It’s a daily thing,” she said. “They’re always here and we’re always calling the police because they’re so disrespectful.” She added, “Today was bad.”
As of Friday evening, no one was in custody while Belmont area detectives continued their investigation, police confirmed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/17/teen-shooting-loop-downtown-chicago/
