Stories by matt masterson

Ta-Nehisi Coates appears during a Northwestern University event on Jan. 31, 2017. (Maya Miller / WTTW News)

Ta-Nehisi Coates Picked as Commencement Speaker for Northwestern’s Unique Prison Education Program Graduation

The first cohort of students in Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program are set to graduate next month, and when they do they’ll be joined by one of the most renowned writers and journalists in the country.

Skokie Village Hall file photo. (WTTW News)

Cook County Prosecutors Won’t Charge Man Accused of Firing Gun Near Pro-Palestinian Rally in Skokie

The incident occurred Sunday evening near a banquet hall in Skokie, where about 1,000 people had gathered to show solidarity with Israel, according to event organizers. A group of about 200 pro-Palestinian protesters also staged their own rally near the hall.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Immigration Attorney Facing Fraud Charges Faked Job Offers and Advised Clients to Enter Sham Marriages, Prosecutors Say

Mohammad Reza Baniassadi allegedly conspired to provide fraudulent information to U.S. immigration authorities to obtain benefits for his foreign national clients over the course of seven years.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

12-Year-Old Boy Among 7 People Killed By Gunfire Over Weekend in Chicago: Police

The victim — who was identified as Damien Green, according to Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office records — was one of 23 total people who were shot in 22 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Rylan Wilder and his attorney Tim Cavanagh speak during a press conference on Oct. 19, 2023. (WTTW News)

Chicago Teen Wounded by Police in Guitar Store Shooting Reaches $1.9M Settlement With City of Des Plaines

Attorneys for Rylan Wilder announced Thursday their client had settled with the city of Des Plaines, just as they were about to go to trial over claims that the officer’s actions were excessive and represented willful and wanton conduct.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Oct. 18, 2023. (WTTW News)

‘Nobody Can Sit on the Sidelines’: Chicago’s Top Cop Larry Snelling Talks Training, Technology and Community Trust

The Englewood native has been Chicago’s top cop for less than a month, but after spending nearly three decades serving in various roles throughout the department, he believes he knows what’s needed to make improvements for his officers and residents throughout the city.

(WTTW News)

CPS Announces New High School Admissions Testing Dates After Technical Issues Halted Previous Exam

CPS officials said the High School Admissions Test will be held for district students on either Oct. 24 or Oct. 25 for those taking the exam in English. Students testing in Spanish, Arabic, Polish, Urdu or Simplified Chinese will take the HSAT at school on Nov. 1.

(PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay)

Chicago Police Warn of Arsonist Targeting Halloween Decorations Around Lincoln Square, North Center

According to police, the person initially ignited several sidewalk autumn or Halloween displays along with some street corner garbage cans. The last three fires have been set with decorations on the front porches of homes.

(WTTW News)

Pedestrian Fatally Struck While Crossing DuSable Lake Shore Drive: Police

According to Chicago police, two adult men were attempting to walk across the 800 block of North Lake Shore Drive just before 5:30 a.m. The pair were not in a crosswalk, police said, and one of the men was struck by a BMW X-3 that was heading southbound.

The home where a boy was killed and a woman critically injured after they were stabbed by a man who targeted them because they were Muslim is shown in Plainfield, Ill., Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Justice Department Launches Federal Hate Crime Investigation Into Plainfield Stabbing That Left 6-Year-Old Muslim Boy Dead

The Justice Department on Sunday announced it has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the fatal stabbing, after 71-year-old Joseph Czuba allegedly stabbed Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, and his mother, 32-year-old Hanaan Shahin, in a Plainfield Township home.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

4 People Killed By Gunfire Over Weekend in Chicago: Police

According to Chicago Police Department data, 21 people were struck by gunfire in 19 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m Sunday.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Chicago Police Not Aware of Active Threats, But Will Increase Patrols Across City in Jewish and Palestinian Community Areas

The Chicago Police Department says it will be deploying additional patrols this weekend to local mosques and synagogues as tensions continue amid the Israel-Hamas war.

(WTTW News)

Skokie Police Investigate Students’ Online Conversation About Niles North High School, Synagogue and a Bomb

“Thank you to our community partners who shared this information to assist with an expeditious investigation into this incident in light of recent events, including the current conflict in Israel,” the department said in a statement.

Chicago police Officer Ella French (@TomAhernCPD / Twitter)

Brother of Man Charged With Killing Chicago Police Officer Ella French Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges

Eric Morgan, who faced charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice, has reached a plea agreement more than two years after the shooting, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office announced.

Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago is pictured in a file photo. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Man Who Spent 16 Years in Prison for Rolling Meadows Killing Set for Release After Murder Charges Dropped

Patrick Taylor, who spent 16 years in custody following his arrest and conviction in the fatal shooting of a suburban rapper in a Rolling Meadows home, is set to be released Wednesday after prosecutors dropped charges against him.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Technical Issues Force CPS to Pause High School Admissions Testing Wednesday

The district said it paused the administration of the hour-long High School Admissions Test for eighth grade CPS students seeking to enroll in a district selective enrollment high school.

(WTTW News)

Skokie Man Charged in Connection to Several Suburban Bomb Threats

Skokie Police on Wednesday announced that 23-year-old Jacob Spiro was arrested this week and charged with two counts of falsely making a terrorist threat and one count of disorderly conduct.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at a news conference on May 24, 2023. (WTTW News)

Villa Park Man Charged With Property Damage, Stalking After Incident at Gov. Pritzker’s Chicago Home

The Illinois State Police on Tuesday announced that 38-year-old Adam Dabash had been charged with two counts of stalking and one count of criminal damage to property.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

8 People Wounded in Mass Shooting Outside River North Restaurant Sunday: Police

According to police, the shooting took place just after 2:30 a.m. outside Blum, a restaurant and nightclub in the 300 block of West Erie Street.

(WTTW News)

Aurora Man Facing Gun Charges in Connection to Willowbrook Juneteenth Mass Shooting That Left 1 Dead, More Than 20 Injured

Anthony Mothershed, 19, has been arrested and charged aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, months after the deadly shooting at an outdoor gathering during the Juneteenth holiday weekend.

Northwestern University football coach Pat Fitzgerald appears on “Chicago Tonight.”

Ex-Northwestern Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Files Wrongful Termination Suit Against University

Pat Fitzgerald’s attorney Dan Webb on Thursday announced that the former coach has filed a lawsuit in Cook County court against Northwestern and its president, Michael Schill, alleging the coach was “wrongfully and illegally terminated.”

A file photo shows a crime scene blocked off by the Chicago Police Department. (WTTW News)

Shootings, Homicides in Chicago Continue to Decline Through September: Police

Through the first three quarters of 2023, homicides and shootings in Chicago are down more than 10% compared to the same time last year, and are each at their lowest totals since at least 2019.

Rina Foygel Barber (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)

University of Chicago Statistics Professor Among 2023 Class of MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ Honorees

Rina Foygel Barber, 40, was announced as one of the newest members of the “genius grant” fellowship, which provides recipients with a $800,000 no-strings-attached award over five years to spend however they want.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

COPA Set to Launch Public Training Program on Police Oversight, Bodycam Video Analysis and More

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability will launch its second People’s Academy — a six-week training course that’s open to the public and gives an in-depth look at some of the office’s operations, such as complaint investigations, body-worn camera video analysis and disciplinary recommendations.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

5 People Killed By Gunfire Over Weekend in Chicago: Police

According to Chicago Police Department figures, there were 37 people shot in 30 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

(WTTW News)

Ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore Facing New SEC Fraud Charges

The SEC on Thursday announced it had filed charges against Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd and its parent company Exelon, alleging they engaged in a “multi-year scheme to corruptly influence and reward” former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.