A member of the Texas Democratic delegation, who arrived in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week, was robbed at gunpoint while walking with a friend in the city early Wednesday morning.
The delegate’s name is unknown at this time, CWBChicago reported. The outlet said it is “not identifying him by name because he is a crime victim.” No one is in custody and detectives are still investigating the crime, the Chicago Police Department confirmed in a statement obtained by National Review.
The victim and his friend were walking near Allegro Royal Sonesta Hotel Chicago when a gunman in a ski mask pulled up in a black Range Rover and robbed them around 2 a.m. The robber stole a 25-year-old man’s wallet and hotel-room key in the same vicinity before turning his attention to the delegate and his associate. No injuries were reported in either incident.
The prime suspects are described as two black men wearing all black clothing and ski masks. They are still believed to be at large.
The Chicago police issued an alert warning the community about the robbers Thursday morning, saying they were linked to another robbery around the same time that the delegate and the two other victims were mugged. The pair are also responsible for two more robberies early Tuesday and Monday morning.
The DNC brought an inordinate number of visitors and protesters to Chicago this week. More than 50 people, mostly anti-Israel protesters, were arrested Tuesday night for clashing with officers outside the Israeli Consulate. Three journalists were included in those arrests after failing to disperse that night.
The following night, no arrests were made and no injuries were reported during a peaceful march of over 2,000 anti-Israel protesters. Chicago police hope that the convention can end Thursday night without any more arrests or violence.
The largest protest, which attracted about 3,500 protesters on Monday, resulted in only 13 arrests. Most of those were made in relation to a group breaching the security fencing. No protester gained access to the inner-security perimeter at the United Center, the four-day convention’s venue.
There have been over 1,200 total reported shootings in Chicago as of July 7, according to Chicago police. This is up 12 percent from the same time period last year.
Gun crime continues to be a driving force for most of the homicides. So far this year, 364 people were killed in the city, the Chicago Tribune reported on August 19. Of those, 323 died from gunshot wounds. Still, the total number of homicides in 2024 is 34 fewer than 2023. The city has seen a drastic decline in homicides since the 2020 and 2021 spikes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Without mentioning the Texas delegate who was robbed at gunpoint, Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday that the DNC was nothing but a “perfect experience” for her party this week. “I’m in Chicago right now — and it couldn’t be a more perfect experience for our delegates and our party,” Bowser said on CNN.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect a statement from the Chicago Police Department.