(CHICAGO) — A man with a record of arrests for murder, attempted murder and carjacking has been charged with opening fire on a West Side Halloween party over the weekend, wounding at least 15 people, Chicago police announced Tuesday.
William Groves, 48, faces 15 counts of attempted murder for the attack early Sunday in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road, Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling said at a press conference with Mayor Brandon Johnson, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, U.S. Rep Danny Davis and Ald. Monique Scott (24th).
Groves was one of a hundred party-goers at Studio 1258, an art gallery that police said has a “history of throwing unlicensed events.” He was ejected from the party following a “disturbance inside,” then returned with a gun, “firing into the crowd,” Snelling said.
“He is a convicted felon who should not have had a gun,” the superintendent said.
Groves was convicted in 2008 of attempted murder. His record also includes arrests for murder, carjacking, kidnapping and armed robbery, according to court documents. Groves will appear in court Tuesday afternoon.
Those wounded range in age from 26 to 53, including nine men and six women, police said. Two of them were critically wounded, while the others were listed in good-to-fair condition.
Their conditions have improved and no injuries appear to be life-threatening, police said Tuesday.
“We need to focus on the victims and support for them moving forward,” Snelling said. “To everyone affected by this shooting and to our North Lawndale neighbors, we’re standing with you.”
Chicago police will open a victim’s assistance center from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday at YMEN, 1241 S. Pulaski Rd, down the street from the attack.
Jasmine Carter attended the party with her sister and cousin. As gunshots rang out, she spotted her sister across the room. “She kept screaming, ‘My leg! My leg!’ She was limping and losing blood,” Carter said.
Carter said she and a cousin stayed with her sister as she dropped to the floor, while people around them were “running and hitting the floor.”
“Everybody was just screaming, ‘Help! Help!’” she said. “I was scared and mad and screaming for the ambulance. The first ambulance on the scene helped a woman who was inside, near the front door. She was badly hurt.”
Carter’s sister suffered gunshot wounds to her arm, buttocks, back of her knee and her leg. She was among those more seriously hurt.
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