A celebratory album release party turned into one of Chicago’s deadliest mass shootings this year when gunfire erupted outside the Artis Lounge nightclub in River North late Wednesday night.
According to Chicago police, four people were killed and 14 others wounded in what CBS Chicago describes as a drive-by shooting that occurred around 11 p.m. in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue.
The shooting happened as crowds were leaving an album release party for 24-year-old Chicago rapper Mello Buckzz, whose real name is Melanie Doyle.
NBC Chicago reports that a dark-colored vehicle drove past the location with at least one person inside opening fire into the crowd of people standing outside. The vehicle immediately fled the scene after unleashing what witnesses described as dozens of shots.
The Victims and Their Stories
Among the four fatalities were two men, ages 24 and 25, who were pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, and two women who died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Family members identified one of the female victims as 26-year-old Taylor Walker, who had been attending the listening party.
Sources told NBC Chicago that the rapper’s boyfriend and best friend were among those who died in the shooting.
The injured victims, ranging in age from 21 to 32, were rushed to multiple area hospitals including Stroger Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and Illinois Masonic Hospital.
According to Chicago police, at least four victims were listed in critical to serious condition, while ten others were reported in good to fair condition.
A Venue with a Violent Past
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that this is not the first mass shooting at this location.
In November 2022, when the venue operated as Hush Chicago nightclub, one person was killed and three others wounded in a shooting that prompted authorities to shut down the establishment.
The Chicago Police Department deemed Hush a “public safety threat” following that incident. The Artis Restaurant and Lounge opened in the same location in April 2025.
According to FOX 32 Chicago, the tragedy has reignited concerns about violence in Chicago’s entertainment districts.
Pastor Donovan Price, who arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting, told CBS News Chicago: “The worst, the worst I’ve seen. People wanting to find their other people, find who was alive, finding who was you know where their phones were because they dropped them in the chaos, so they couldn’t even call, or couldn’t even find their car keys.”
The Artist at the Center of the Tragedy
Mello Buckzz, who began her music career in 2020, had gained national attention with tracks like “Boom (Mouskatool)” which has garnered over 3.5 million streams on Spotify and 9 million views on YouTube, according to The Mirror.
The rising star had been celebrating the release of her debut album “Hollyhood” when the shooting occurred.
In emotional Instagram posts following the shooting, the rapper wrote: “Prayers up for all my sisters god please wrap yo arms around every last one of them.”
She added, “Feel like everything just weighing down on me…all I can do is talk to god and pray.”
Sources close to the investigation told The Mirror that she appeared to confirm the loss of her boyfriend in subsequent social media posts.
Community Response and Ongoing Investigation
The mass shooting has sent shockwaves through Chicago’s River North neighborhood, an area known for its vibrant nightlife and upscale establishments.
According to CWB Chicago, this marks the latest in a series of violent incidents in the entertainment district, with the Near North Side experiencing at least 10 shootings so far this year.
Justin Peters from Chitown Crime Chasers emphasized the widespread nature of gun violence in Chicago, telling FOX 32: “Obviously, this is not just taking place on the South and West sides in Black and brown communities, this is happening all over, including downtown and on the North Side. It’s going to take all of us to save us.”
As of Thursday morning, no arrests have been made and Chicago police detectives continue their investigation.
The Chicago Police Department has not released information about potential suspects or motives, though preliminary reports suggest this may have been a targeted attack.
A Pattern of Violence
The River North shooting represents one of Chicago’s deadliest mass shootings in recent months.
According to police data, the incident brings the total number of people shot in the Near North Side area to over 40 this year, with at least nine fatalities from gun violence.
The concentration of late-night venues in the area has been a focal point for community safety discussions.
Chicago Mayor’s Office of Community Safety confirmed the details of the incident, while hospitals across the city declared mass casualty protocols to handle the influx of victims.
Northwestern Medicine spokesperson Chris King told reporters that the emergency department was evaluating multiple shooting victims but could not provide specific numbers or conditions.
As the community grapples with yet another mass shooting, questions remain about how to prevent such tragedies in Chicago’s entertainment districts.
The investigation continues as detectives work to identify the shooters and determine what led to this deadly attack on what should have been a night of celebration for a rising Chicago artist.
