On Monday in Chicago, a distressing incident unfolded as three people lost their lives and five others were injured during a "social gathering." The Chicago Police Department was promptly called to the 3500 block of West 59th Street at approximately 2:10 p.m. on Dec. 2. Chief of Police Jon P. Hein provided details during a press conference.

Unraveling the Chicago Tragedy - 3 Dead, 5 Injured at Social Gathering

Initial Response and Victim Details

Upon arrival, officers discovered that eight individuals, consisting of four males and four females, had been shot. All the victims were between 20 and 35 years old and were at the location for what seemed to be a social gathering. The three deceased individuals were male, as stated by Hein. While the victims have not been publicly identified yet, local affiliates WFLD and WGN-TV, citing the Chicago Police Department, reported that one of the deceased males was an adult who sustained gunshot wounds to the head, chest, right thigh, and right wrist and died at the hospital. The other two victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the body and were pronounced dead at the scene. PEOPLE reached out to the Chicago Police Department but did not receive an immediate response.

Neighbor's Account and Local Crime Context

Neighbors told WLS-TV that a large house party was in progress when the shots were fired. Witness El Towers recounted, "I started hearing shots, very loud shots, maybe a lot of them. I can't recall how many." In an interview with WGN-TV, Towers, who grew up in the area, expressed that crime has been "bad like this ever since I was a kid." He said, "Things haven't changed out here. I've been here my whole life and I always remember shootings and people getting killed. It's the same thing 30 years ago."This tragic event has left the community in shock, and the Chicago Police Department is working hard to find the individual or individuals responsible for this heinous incident. They have vowed to bring justice to the victims and their families. The investigation is ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge as the police continue their efforts.