Gunshots Likely Came From Inside White Sox Ballpark: Chicago PD

CHICAGO — Chicago Police have nearly dispelled the idea that the shots that were fired that led to two women being shot at Guaranteed Rate Field during a White Sox game on Friday night came from outside the ballpark.

Chicago Police Interim Superintendent Fred Waller said at a news conference Monday that the shooting that injured two women during the fourth inning of the White Sox-Oakland Athletics game remains under investigation. Although police and White Sox officials have not yet released many details about the shooting, police officials are almost certain the shots were fired inside the ballpark.

“(A shot) coming from outside the ballpark is something we’ve almost completely dispelled,” Waller told reporters. “We’re still looking at every avenue. It’s still under investigation. Something from inside, it could’ve happened that way. We’re looking at every avenue, exploring every lead and everything that we get.”

The two women, ages 26 and 42, are continuing to recover from the shooting. One of the women refused medical treatment after police said the bullet grazed her abdomen, and the other was taken to a local hospital after being shot in the leg. Waller said on Monday that he asked team officials to halt the game as a precaution, but the game instead continued.

The women were sitting in the left-field bleachers at the time of the incident.

Scott Reifert, the Sox senior vice president of communications, told Patch on Monday that there was nothing new to report since the team held a media briefing on Saturday. The team said on Saturday that the game was not stopped because it appeared the incident appeared to only involve a fan who needed medical attention.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday declined to comment on whether he was involved in the decision to allow the game to go on. A postgame concert, in which 90s rapper Vanilla Ice was scheduled to perform, was canceled.

“Obviously, this is an ongoing investigation, and the Chicago Police Department has done a remarkable job of gathering all of the evidence and as more information becomes available, that information will be reported,” Johnson told reporters.

Waller said that the game was not initially stopped because police did not receive information about an active shooting being at the ballpark and that there was no “flare-up.”

“We had reports of people being shot at Sox Park, but that wasn’t confirmed, and so we allowed the game to continue (and) not to create a panic,” Waller said.