Chicago Man Appears to Point Gun Directly at News Crew as Reporter Is Talking About Gun Violence in City

Chicago police are currently searching for a man who appeared to point a gun directly at a news camera during a live report on Wednesday morning.

While a local Fox 32 reporter named Joanie Lum was broadcasting in the River North area and reporting on gun violence in Chicago, the hooded man appeared behind her and appeared to point a gun directly at the camera. Lum continued her report while he walked away behind her and pointed the presumed weapon across the street while hopping.

Police issued a community warning about the man, and Fox is reporting that he is a person of interest and could face charges of aggravated assault with a firearm. Anyone with information on the person’s identity from the video should call 312-744-8261, a number provided by Chicago police to Fox 32 Chicago after the incident. The local outlet called the incident “horrifying” when tweeting out the story.

Good Morning Chicago anchor Anita Padilla tweeted that Lum is okay after the incident, but was “shaken.”

“The gun was one foot from her head as he pointed at the camera or cameraman Gary. She is understandably shaken. Thank God she is okay,” Padilla tweeted about the incident, which occurred at around 7 AM on Wednesday.

It happened to @JoanieLum and her photog at 7:06am. The gun was one foot from her head as he pointed at the camera or cameraman Gary. She is understandably shaken. Thank God she is okay.

— ANITA PADILLA FOX 32 (@AnitaPadilla32) May 25, 2022

Gun violence has been on the rise in Chicago, though it has seen a slight decline this year. Statistics released last month showed shooting incidents were down in March of this year to 508 from 582 during the same period last year the Chicago Tribune reported. Last year also marked the deadliest year on record for the city in over 20 years, with nearly 800 homicides and over 3500 shooting incidents.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) blasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday after he pointed to the city’s gun violence problem as a reason to not push stricter gun control measures in his own state, despite the recent Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting leading to the death of over 20.

Lightfoot said she is working “day and night” to stop violence in her city.

Gov Abbott, instead of coming after my city, take a moment to think about how YOU can stop this carnage. I work day and night to stop the violence. I see the suffering. Open your eyes. Lives are being lost. Be a part of the solution or get the hell out of the way. https://t.co/XBGs8Tq2W8

— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 25, 2022

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