Stories by matt masterson

(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.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

CPS Sees Increase in Student Enrollment For the First Time in More Than a Decade

CPS officials on Thursday announced that the district’s 20th day enrollment, which serves as the official tally for the academic year, had risen by about 0.4% up to 323,291 students. That marks the first increase in student population in 12 years.

(WTTW News)

Lee Harris, Who Spent More Than 30 Years in Prison Before Murder Conviction Vacated, Suing City of Chicago

Lee Harris, 67, who claimed he was framed by police and prosecutors before spending 33 years in prison, filed the federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday — six months after his conviction was vacated and he was released from prison following his conviction in the 1989 murder of 24-year-old Dana Feitler.

Joyce Chapman (City of Chicago)

Chicago Community Activist, Ex-Board of Education Member Joyce Chapman Dies

“Chicago will miss her fighting spirit and her public service,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “I pray for her family during this trying time and send my deepest condolences to her friends, colleagues and loved ones.”

Demonstrators march in Chicago on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, to show their support for removing police officers from schools. (WTTW News)

Chicago Police Board Rejects Union’s Call to Move Some Officer Disciplinary Cases to Arbitration

The board on Tuesday rejected a motion brought by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, which sought to move 22 disciplinary cases from the board to an independent arbitrator, following a summer ruling that opened the door for such a shift.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey arrives to the federal courthouse in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. Menendez is due in court to answer to federal charges alleging he used his powerful post to secretly advance Egyptian interests and carry out favors for local businessmen in exchange for bribes of cash and gold bars. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)

Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth Join Calls for New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to Resign

Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth this week have added their voices to the growing number of calls seeking the ouster of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who’s now facing federal charges in a wide-ranging corruption case.

Leighton Criminal Court Building (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Charges Dropped Against Chicago Man Who Spent Decades Behind Bars on Wrongful Murder Conviction

The murder charges were dismissed against 53-year-old Francisco Benitez weeks after he was released from custody following a new bail hearing that came nearly 34 years after he was first imprisoned.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

3 People Killed By Gunfire Over Weekend in Chicago: Police

According to Chicago Police Department data, 30 people were shot in 28 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.