Moment gun fire sends crowds scrambling as popular Chicago beach is closed hours after it opened

A Chicago beach was closed just hours after it opened for Memorial Day weekend after shots were fired during a major scuffle.

The shooting comes after officials said they were deploying ‘peacekeepers’ across the city in a bid to prevent holiday chaos after nine people were killed and 52 others gunned down last year.

Crowds of people in North Avenue Beach rushed to shelter on Friday when gunfire erupted following a fight that broke out between a group of 80 to 100 teenagers.

One person pulled out a gun and fired it during the scuffle which erupted at 1.30pm and hundreds of bathers were seen running away and screaming.

No one was hit by the bullets and no injuries were reported.

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with one count of aggravated firearm discharge and one count of criminal damage to property worth $500 to $10,000.

Crowds of people in North Avenue Beach rushed to shelter on Friday when gunfire erupted following a fight that broke out between a group of 80 to 100 teenagers

One person pulled out a gun and fired it during the fracas which occurred at 1.30pm and hundreds of bathers were seen running away and screaming

But the weapon was not recovered and would have been thrown somewhere.

The incident was filmed and shows a group of teenagers standing up to each other while pointing and shouting.

Someone then pulls out a gun and fires a shot that sends everyone rushing to get away.

People on the beach are heard screaming as they run from the gunfire and a car is seen speeding to get away.

The group of teenagers had dispersed by the time police arrived on the scene, but a 15-year-old boy was arrested over the incident.

A Chicago Park District truck was hit by a bullet and its windows shattered.

John Muldoon was walking by the beach at the time and he said ABC Chicago: ‘We passed, and then we saw the truck here with obviously what appears to be gunfire coming through the windows, and we’re like it’s scary.’

And Dan Short who was at the beach said, “There were just a lot of police. I saw at least three people in handcuffs and didn’t really see exactly what happened or what caused it, but it looked like there was some sort of argument going on, obviously.

After the shooting, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “I am aware of the events that unfolded on North Avenue Beach late in the afternoon.

“I am in contact with our first responders and continue to closely monitor and monitor the situation as details unfold.”

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault, firearm discharge and one count of criminal damage to property worth $500 to $10,000.

No one has been hit by the bullets and the weapon has not yet been recovered

The shooting took place hours after Chicago opened its 22 beaches along Lake Michigan to the public ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

The Windy City suffered its most violent holiday weekend in five years in 2022 when nine people were killed and 52 others were shot.

In an effort to prevent the Memorial Day mayhem, officials are deploying “peacekeepers” across Chicago.

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday the creation of the citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit that will work with community organizations to deploy more than 30 trained neighborhood “peacekeepers.”

It was described as a highly mobile team purpose-built to prevent violence and resolve conflict and crisis in the city of Chicago by providing critical de-escalation, conflict resolution, and crisis support assistance.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Chicago Police Department for comment.