It is nothing short of a miracle that no lives were lost early last Saturday when gunfire erupted just steps from St. Sabina Church. Around 2 a.m., seven youth—males between the ages of 17 and 19—were wounded as unknown occupants in a Jeep unleashed a hail of bullets from all four windows into a crowd of hundreds who had gathered to celebrate a high school graduation near 78th and Racine. One of the victims remains in serious condition.
The attack, described by Father Michael Pfleger as “cowardly and senseless,” left the Auburn Gresham community reeling. Chicago police say no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Father Pfleger noted that in the chaos, someone in the crowd began firing back at the vehicle. “It’s a miracle no one was killed,” he told reporters.
In an urgent effort to generate leads, Father Pfleger immediately offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooters. Standing before reporters outside St. Sabina Church on Sunday, June 1, Pfleger declared, “We have to protect our children,” before asking his congregation to help canvas the neighborhood with reward flyers.
The Auburn Gresham neighborhood, while home to vibrant churches and small businesses, has long grappled with persistent gun violence. According to the Chicago Police Department’s most recent CompStat data, the 6th Police District, which includes Auburn Gresham, has experienced a 16 percent increase in shootings year-to-date compared to the same period last year. As of May 26, the city of Chicago has recorded over 900 shooting incidents in 2025, many involving youth and teens. Citywide, authorities report that roughly one-third of all shooting victims in Chicago are under the age of 25. Experts and community leaders cite a range of factors: social media disputes, lack of supervision, easy access to firearms, and neighborhood disinvestment. The shooting near St. Sabina exemplifies the tragic convergence of these elements.
Father Pfleger’s $10,000 reward offer is more than symbolic. Historically, cash incentives have helped generate tips in several high-profile cases. According to a 2023 Urban Institute study on reward effectiveness, offers of $5,000 or more increased the likelihood of receiving actionable information by 33 percent, particularly when trust in police was low. Still, reward success often hinges on community engagement and confidentiality protections for tipsters. “Somebody always knows,” Pfleger said Sunday, as volunteers handed out flyers door to door. “Somebody always sees something.”
Pfleger said he first learned that a lot of people were gathering at 78th and Racine, and when he went out to see what was going on about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, the youth told him they were having an after prom set. He cautioned them to be careful, go home and to be safe. He then went to bed about 12:15 a.m., but he was awakened by loud noise seemingly outside his window around 1:55 a.m., though he wasn’t sure what was going on. It was then Pfleger began receiving text messages from several members that there had been a shooting near the church. That is when Father Pfleger saw hundreds of youths scrambling for safety.
What was so shocking to Pfleger was the boldness of the shooters, who were “shooting out of all four windows in the presence of police who were trying to disperse the crowd,” he said.
But Pfleger made it clear that no one, including the city’s proposed Snap Curfew, more police on the street, or more programs at St. Sabina, could have prevented the mass shooting because no one was working at 2 a.m.
Pointing a finger at four possible causes for the shooting, he said, “Parents have to parent,” he told a cheering congregation. “No way should a 16-year-old child be at 78th and Racine at 2 a.m. Every child has a phone and every phone has a location,” Pfleger said. “Parents need to know where their children are,” and for those parents who tell him their child turned off the location option, Pfleger had a message for them. “Parents need to know where their children are, and if they turned off the location, snatch that phone. That’s your phone. He ain’t got a job,” he said. “We have to do a better job of parenting.”
And to the youth, Father Pfleger gave them some advice. “You need to value yourself because at 16 or 17 you’re vulnerable, not invincible. You need to be protected; so, don’t put yourself in danger.” He warned youth to stop putting everything they do on social media, saying that is why hundreds of people came to attend the Auburn Gresham high school graduation party. “There are two percent evil, wicked people who come to steal, kill and destroy.” He said don’t give them the opportunity to snatch your children. “We found IDs of people from Country Club Hills, Dolton, and other south suburban communities.” He added, “If you go to an event where there are 300 or 400 people gathered at midnight, leave because statistics show that you are vulnerable, not invincible. You need to be protected. Young people, you need to make wise decisions.”
While Pfleger said he doesn’t want to put anyone in jail, if you shoot one of our children, he emphasized, “You are going to jail.” Pfleger called for the end of shooting and said, “Get rid of the guns.” He pointed to studies that prove having a gun does not make a person safer. He said the opposite is true.
Early last Saturday was a “very difficult and challenging day” for Pfleger, who on Sunday asked some of his members to leave worship service and accompany him in passing out his $10,000 reward flyer to every house on the block. “Somebody always knows” who is involved, he stated.
Scores of people poured out of the church carrying the $10,000 reward flyer and joined Father Pfleger as they knocked on doors, leaving flyers behind. While they were outside passing out flyers, gospel singer Cinque Cullar was inside leading a prayer vigil, praying for peace in the community.
One of several guests at St. Sabina was former Illinois Representative Marlow Colvin, who said, “After the events of this past Friday evening when several young people in the Auburn Gresham community were shot, my wife and I wanted to come and be with the St. Sabina Church community and pray for healing and peace across the South Side of Chicago. Like Father Pfleger, we too are upset and frustrated but remain hopeful and resolved to do our part in advocating against the thoughtless violence we are all exposed to. We wanted him to know that we care too,” said Colvin. He was joined by his wife, Carmen Tiche-Colvin, Deputy Clerk of the Cook County Board.
In an effort to provide counseling and holistic support for survivors, the Chicago Police Department hosted an emergency assistance event at St. Sabina on Wednesday, June 4, offering services to victims of violence and their families.
Father Pfleger is urging anyone with information about the shooters to call the Chicago Police Department or contact him directly at 773-483-4300.