Chicago police searching for man who pointed gun at local news crew reporting on gun violence
Chicago police are looking for a man who brandished an alleged handgun during a live broadcast about gun violence in the city.
Members of the FOX 32 team, led by reporter Joanie Lum, were on the corner of Clark and Hubbard in the neighborhood of River North at around 7 a.m. on Wednesday when their camera captured the incident.
During the “Good Morning Chicago” broadcast, the man can be seen entering the left side of the frame while pointing what appears to be a firearm at either the camera or the camera operator.
He then walks behind Lum and turns to the left before pointing the alleged weapon one more time in another direction.
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The incident comes as Chicago sees a rise in gang-related gun violence. Just last week, two people died and seven were injured during a mass shooting that reportedly occurred due to “personal conflict” near Magnificent Mile.
Hours after the broadcast, FOX 32 reported that Lum and her photographer were not injured during the incident. The station also thanked viewers who “called or emailed to make sure our crew was okay.”
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Meanwhile, Lum, who served as the president of the Chicago chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), acknowledged the incident in a lighthearted tweet.
“After an eventful day the question was cake or beer? I chose cake. Was I wrong?” she wrote.
The Chicago Police Department now considers the man to be a person of interest. He has been accused of aggravated assault with a firearm.
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The authorities have described him as a 5-foot-6-inch to 5-foot-8-inch Black man between 18 and 25 years old and weighing 130 to 150 pounds. He has black hair and wore a dark hoodie, a black jacket, light ripped blue jeans and dark shoes during the incident. He was last seen headed for the 400 block of North Clark St.
The man remains at large as of this writing. Anyone with information about him or his whereabouts is urged to call detectives at (312) 744-8261 or send an anonymous tip at www.cpdtip.com.
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Featured Image via FOX 32 Chicago
