CHICAGO — Police in Chicago tried to bring an end to unrest overnight as hundreds of people took to the area of the city called Magnificent Mile and other parts of the city, The Associated Press reported.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said more than 100 people were arrested and that 14 officers were injured, the AP reported.
Brown called the unrest “not an organized protest” but rather “an incident of pure criminality.”
Police said windows were smashed and stores were ransacked. CNN reported that several luxury stores like Coach, Pandora and Saks Fifth Avenue were broken into.
Police spokesman said shots were exchanged between police and the people in the streets.
The Chicago Tribune reported that people were seen leaving stores with shopping bags filled with merchandise. People were also seen leaving a bank in the area. Empty cash drawers and damaged ATMs were seen in the city, the AP reported.
The Tribune reported that people were brought into the area in cars and dropped off, adding to the mass of people. There was at least one U-Haul truck seen in the area as well, according to the newspaper.
The violence started just after midnight, but as of Monday morning, police were not sure what had caused it. There was anti-police graffiti seen in the area and hours before the unrest erupted, a police officer had shot and wounded a person in Englewood, about 10 miles away from Magnificent Mile, the AP reported.
Train and bus services had temporarily been suspended as police tried to bring the crowd under control, the AP reported.
The Illinois State Police also blocked expressway ramps and most bridges spanning the Chicago river were raised, the Tribune reported.