A mass shooting outside a Chicago nightclub left four people dead and 14 others wounded on July 3, 2025, following an album release party for rapper Mello Buckzz. The drive-by shooting occurred around 11 p.m. outside Artis Restaurant and Lounge in the city’s River North neighborhood.
According to Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, a dark-colored vehicle drove past the building in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue, where three people from inside fired shots into a crowd of people standing on the sidewalk. The vehicle immediately fled the scene after the shooting.
The victims injured in the shooting ranged in age from 21 to 32 years old. Two men who were shot were taken to Stroger Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified them as 25-year-old Leon Andrew Henry and 23-year-old Devonte Terrell Williamson. A 26-year-old woman and a 27-year-old woman were both shot in the chest and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where they died.
Of the 14 wounded, two were taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital, two were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, three were taken to Stroger Hospital, and six were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in conditions ranging from good to critical. Four of the injured remained in serious to critical condition, according to police.
Police described the shooting as a targeted attack, with some of the victims among Mello Buckzz’s inner circle. Snelling noted that “they didn’t care who was struck, and in a matter of seconds they were able to shoot 18 people.” Investigators recovered two different calibers of shell casings at the scene, with police indicating there was a possibility that a rifle was used.
Shaniah Battle, who was among the 14 people wounded in the shooting, confirmed that one of the two women killed in the drive-by was her sister, Aviance King. The other female victim was identified as Taylor Walker, 26.
Mello Buckzz posted social media tributes to those killed, including her boyfriend, Williamson, sharing photos of the couple together. The rapper also posted about King and Walker, expressing her grief and asking for prayers for all her friends who were injured.
Mayor Brandon Johnson indicated that the city was mobilizing resources to prevent any retaliation violence. Snelling confirmed that police were coordinating with both local and federal partners regarding the possibility of gang-related conflict and potential retaliation.
The Artis Lounge released a statement expressing that the venue was created as a safe space for Black, Brown, LGBTQ and allied communities to gather and feel at home in River North. The establishment confirmed they were working with authorities as the investigation continued.
Chicago police issued a summary closure of the building, shutting down the business while their investigation into the location continued. The same block was also the scene of a mass shooting in November 2022, when the same venue was known as Hush Lounge. One person was killed and three others wounded in that incident, leading police to shut down the Hush nightclub before Artis Lounge later opened in the same location.
Pastor Donovan Price, who arrived at the chaotic scene, described it as the worst he had ever witnessed. He noted people searching for their loved ones, trying to find who was alive, and looking for dropped phones and car keys in the chaos. Price described the hospitals as almost as chaotic as the crime scene, with people searching for their family members.
The shooting was not the only mass shooting in Chicago that night. Mayor Johnson noted that four people were wounded in another mass shooting early on July 3 in the Riverdale neighborhood as they were standing outside in the 600 block of East 133rd Street around 3:15 a.m.
No arrests had been made as of the following day, but police confirmed they believe three shooters were involved in the incident. The investigation remained ongoing, with authorities reviewing footage and analyzing evidence from the scene.
The shooting occurred just days before the Fourth of July weekend, when Chicago and other major cities often experience increased gun violence. Despite recent incidents, Chicago has seen an overall decrease in gun violence in recent years, with murders down 32% year-to-date as of June 29 and shooting incidents down 39%, according to the city’s crime data.
