‘We are going to make adjustments:’ Top cop following carjacking, robbery and 2 shootings that marred pre-dawn Mexican Independence Day celebrations in downtown Chicago

A horde of revelers and cars donning Mexican flags and colors took over Downtown Friday into the early hours of Saturday in celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

Among thousands of people enjoying themselves, two men were shot and others were robbed and carjacked downtown.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lighfoot addressed the mayhem during an afternoon news conference at the Harrison Park Field House, 1824 S Wood St., located next to the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Last night our cultural pride was on display, said Lightfoot. But unfortuantely some were engaged in “unsafe and reckless behavior,” Lightfoot said, adding those behaviors “diminished,” the event.

Lightfood said she was here to encourage “Everyone across our city to use common sense in celebrating Mexican Independence Day.”

Caravans and traffic snarls made it hard for some to get to work. “Some are just plain scared,” to be driving near the festivities, Lightfoot said.

Brown, who spoke of the “plan” for tonight, said “we are going to make adjustments,” based on the incidents that happened Friday night.

Brown, who urged safe celebrations, said this should be a time for everyone to have a “great time.”

Car caravans last night created a danger to public safety, as well as “attacks on officers” and an attack in whcih someone threw a frozen water bottle in the face of an officer, who had to be hospitalized, Brown said. Some were arrested.

A 32-year-old man was involved in a fight with another man on the 100 block of South Wacker Drive at about 1:08 a.m. Saturday when a person in a red car fired shots and hit him in the back, police said. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.

In the 0 to 100 block of East Wacker Drive around 1:10 a.m., a 27-year-old man was walking on the sidewalk when a group of people started beating him and one assailant shot him in the head, police said.

That man was also taken to Northwestern Hospital in good condition.

The carjacking and robbery during continuing celebrations around 3:15 a.m. when a group of five people were in a stopped car on the 1400 block of South DuSable Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, police said.

An armed person approached them and demanded that they get out of the car, police said. The robber took several necklaces from two of the people in the group and then took the car they were in, a 2011 Nissan Rogue with an Illinois license plate, DD47882. No one was physically injured.

Friday, the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) sent an alert warning of swelling traffic was expected downtown due to the holiday.

“Expect increased traffic in downtown & Michigan Ave/DuSable LSD area this weekend due to Mexican Independence Day activities. Drive responsibly,” the alert read.

Friday night, caravans of people celebrating the holiday were on DuSable Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, heading west into the city.

About 9 p.m. OEMC dispatchers could be heard speaking to police over the radio. One officer asked if there was supposed to be a city garbage truck blocking the ramps into the city. After one officer responded yes, the first officer said: “Well, it’s not working.”

Police reported no arrests as of Saturday afternoon.