Nothing Says ‘Merry Christmas’ Like a Firing but Peaceful Chicago

This weekend, the last before Thanksgiving and the true start of the holiday season, is a traditional one for kicking off the things that signal that time of year.

Our son’s godfather had a beautiful, heartwarming video from his town in Virginia, where they had a community tree lighting on the town square. He jokingly called it ‘Hallmark town,’ and I have to admit, that’s what it looked like.

Only it was real.

So was this little get-together with folks in what looked to be a frosty Cleveland, TN. The master of ceremonies counted down with – don’t take this wrong – ho’s, and everyone ooed, aahed, and clapped when the beautiful lights came on, and the Christmas music began playing.

There is something special in a communal gathering like that, large or small, at this time of year that just melts your heart…or maybe grows it three sizes, depending on who you are.

 

Bigger American cities have their treelightings festivities, too. New York City has its Rockefeller Centre tree, whose arrival is always a huge deal that I remember vividly from growing up. This year, they’ll light it on the third of December.

Washington, D.C., has, of course, a long, multiple-tree tradition. There’s the White House Christmas tree to celebrate with. The lighting ceremony will be on the fourth, and Melania Trump is already awaiting the delivery of the tree, this year from Michigan, which will go in the Blue Room.

The Capitol Christmas Tree, nicknamed ‘Silver Bell,’ arrived Friday from Nevada. And the 103rd annual National Christmas Tree Lighting also takes place on the fourth on the Ellipse.

Americans are crazy for Christmas trees.

In Chicago, I think they’re just crazy.

Chicago does what seems to be a pretty cool big city Christmas market, with all sorts of vendor shopping, and entertainment – very much mirrored on the traditional German model. It was all set to kick off this past Friday on The Loop with the lighting of a locally donated tree.

Chicago holiday festivities kick off with tree lighting, Christkindlmarket opening on Friday

Had to be spectacular-looking, and folks were looking forward to wandering through the Christkindlmarket, grabbing some food, and listening to the various entertainers.

Chicago’s official Christmas tree is glowing bright with 119,000 lights in Millennium Park.

Anchors Joe Donlon and Irika Sargent helped flip the switch as the 68-foot Norway spruce donated by the Mason family in Glenview was lit up Friday night. The tree is now the largest Christmas tree in the city’s history.

Homeowners Ryan and Jody Mason said the tree has to come down because its roots are causing problems with the foundation of their house, and they are going to be doing some renovations to their house soon. They figured as long as the tree had to come down, they might as well apply to the Chicago Christmas tree contest rather than just having the tree chopped up for firewood..

How cool.

But the Hallmark moment didn’t last, not in Chicago anyway.

Shortly after midnight, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘youths who do silly things’ began to do what they seem to do pretty frequently in Chicago, and the evening went downhill rapidly.

They ruined it for everyone, besides wounding and killing each other.

One person was killed and eight others wounded in a pair of shootings late Friday night in downtown Chicago’s the Loop district, just hours after Chicago lit the city’s official Christmas tree just blocks away in Millennium Park.

Seven teens were injured in the first shooting, which police said happened near the intersection of State and Randolph streets near the Chicago Theatre at around 9:50 p.m. local time. Two people were shot, one fatally, during the second shooting near Adams and Dearborn streets about 30 minutes later.

During the first shooting, officers were on patrol and heard gunshots being fired into a large group in the 100 block of North State Street, Chicago police said.

Officers found the seven victims, who were taken to both Stroger Hospital of Cook County and Lurie Children’s Hospital, in fair to good condition. Police said the victims range in age from 13 to 17 years old. 

After the second shooting in the 100 Block of South Dearborn Street, police found two victims with gunshot wounds. Police said one of the victims was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Look at the ages on these ‘youths,’ these ‘kids.’

What is a thirteen-year-old doing out running the streets well after midnight? I don’t care what the occasion is.

The child – and he was a child – whom they found later shot dead in the street?

All of fourteen.

14-year-old Armani Floyd, who was shot and killed Friday night in the Loop, only hours after the city’s Christmas tree lighting, is being remembered as a funny, basketball-loving teen with a bright future.

READ MORE: https://t.co/LUrSTdyhAj pic.twitter.com/7VtG4V1evD

— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) November 24, 2025

Other people apparently feel the same way.

Stop with the bs.
He had no business being downtown.
I remember PSA right after the 10pm news “it’s 1030pm. Do you know where your children are?”

But you all don’t broadcast that anymore, do you?

— 🎰 Random thoughts. 🛫🌎 🎰 (@Emma508111) November 24, 2025

This video is so horrible to watch, not only for the chaos ensuing as everyone out for a wonderful evening has to try to scatter from the gunshots. But because thinking of the terror the poor older couple in the lower left-hand of the scene had to have felt (2:04 in), who cannot physically run away. They can barely walk. And who, thanks to these juvenile monsters, were now looking desperately for somewhere to duck, and wind up cowering by a transit entrance as bodies fly by.

It just makes you sick.

Oh, well done, Mayor Johnson and your fat, complacent, porcine billionaire overlord.

🚨 Chicago’s Christmas tree lighting turned into a bloodbath just after midnight when gunfire erupted near the Chicago Theatre, killing one teen and wounding seven others (all 13-17) as 100-300 juveniles surged through the Loop in pure chaos.

Minutes later, another shooting at… pic.twitter.com/J8FoUkQpgk

— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) November 22, 2025

…Minutes later, another shooting at Dearborn and Adams left an 18-year-old fighting for his life with a leg wound.

Officers trying to restore order were maced and stunned; one cop hospitalized, several more injured while making arrests and seizing guns.

A night meant for cocoa and carols became screams and sirens.

This is the city’s 1,100+ shooting of 2025.

Pray for the kids who won’t make it home, the ones who will carry scars, and the officers who ran toward the fire.

Chicago, we deserve better than this.

Do you know what the Bear of Little Brains had to say about this?

…Mayor Johnson said 18 arrests were made Friday night, and five guns were recovered in the aftermath of the shooting. The mayor called the shootings a setback for the city.

A ‘setback’ after 18 arrests and five guns? Surely the mayor had something more to add about hundreds of literal children running wild and terrorising his streets?

He’s such an unmitigated buffoon.

DON’T DO THAT, KIDS

…Mayor Johnson said the city was aware of social media posts alluding to a teen takeover Friday night. He said letters were sent out to Chicago Public Schools families.

The Chicago Police Department even put an extra 700 officers on patrol.

“What we put in place did not do enough for what we were concerned about from actually manifesting,” Mayor Johnson said. “Our young people have to understand that they should not attend these unauthorized events that are advertised on social media.”

Police as of Sunday morning still did not have anyone in custody. Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 cash reward for any information leading to an arrest.

Chicago print media buried the story on page 17.

Weitzel, “A mass shooting in Chicago’s Loop—our central business district—gets buried on page 17 of the @Suntimes. That’s not journalism, that’s editorial malpractice. Public safety belongs on the front page, not page 17.” @CWBChicago @ChicagoContrar1 @MorningAnswer @John_Kass pic.twitter.com/EsO88Zxz56

— Chief Thomas Weitzel-Retired (@ChiefWeitzel) November 23, 2025

Saturday night went ahead as planned, even though the Christmas Market closed down. Chicago had another 300 cops on the street on top of the extra 700 they already had staged there for the event.

The holiday festivities continued Saturday evening with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade and fireworks showcase in Chicago’s downtown. 

Chicago police now remain in the Loop, with 1,000 additional officers patrolling downtown just one night after two shootings that left a 14-year-old boy dead and eight others hurt. 

The Christkindlmarket closed up shop for the night on its opening weekend. Elsewhere in downtown, hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets earlier for the Mag Mile Lights Festival parade and fireworks. The event with added police presence following Friday night’s downtown shooting.

People said they felt ‘safer,’ go figure.

There was some cognitive dissonance in the reporting though.

From all the additional police necessary to keep people safe from rampaging, ‘stupid’ and deadly ‘youths’…

…”I feel safe knowing we have the Chicago police out here. I feel safe out here. I know we’re in good hands,” Chasity said.

Chicago police said on top of 700 extra police brought in to support district one officers, 300 more were brought in to staff the event Saturday evening, following Friday night’s shooting that left one teen dead and others wounded.

…to, ‘Oh, yay! We’re healing!’?

…It was Tracy Monticello’s first time visiting the market.

“It’s wonderful, great atmosphere, it’s very nice, beautiful weather,” she said.

A sign that the downtown area is continuing its resurgence, post-pandemic, drawing in visitors of all ages.

I don’t think so.

🚨BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting MASS SHOOTING, 1 dead, 9 shot, bodies everywhere, 300 juveniles rioting, multiple police officers attacked and injured with 1 officer hospitalized.

Johnson will say, “this is an isolated incident”. https://t.co/AxGBcZEaVT pic.twitter.com/QSHqOoDK6x

— Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) November 22, 2025

YMMV

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