At least 12 people were injured late Friday when two assailants in a sport-utility vehicle opened fire on a crowd in Chicago's South Side, according to city police. The suspects fled the scene and remain at large. Two men were listed in critical condition at local hospitals; a 17-year-old boy was among those wounded. The ages of the victims ranged from 17 to 47, medical sources said.

Initial reports varied slightly: Russian-language news agencies, citing U.S. broadcasters, placed the number of injured at 13, but Chicago police confirmed 12 gunshot victims, including eight men and four women. One man was shot in the thigh, while a woman suffered two bullet wounds to her back. Some victims transported themselves to four area hospitals. Police said another man declined medical treatment for unknown injuries.

The shooting marred Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Earlier that day, former President Barack Obama had welcomed visitors to his presidential centre on the South Side. A local pastor and anti-violence advocate, Donovan Price, told broadcasters the bloodshed was a tragedy on what 'should be celebrating... Fireworks should not turn into gunshots.' Chicago police noted that at least 21 people were shot citywide from Friday evening, with four killed in separate incidents.

Viewed from Latin America, the violence was not confined to Chicago. In Kansas City, Missouri, one man died and five others were wounded Friday night when multiple people opened fire into a gathering near 19th Street, police said. Authorities there pledged heightened security ahead of a World Cup match at Arrowhead Stadium. Separately, in Rio de Janeiro, an off-duty police sergeant fatally shot a man and injured another during a dispute while neighbours watched a World Cup football match on a public square. The officer claimed self-defence and was not immediately arrested, prompting scrutiny from local authorities.

Detectives in Chicago are processing evidence and interviewing witnesses. No detailed description of the attackers or the SUV has been released, and no arrests have been made. The investigation remains active, with police urging anyone with information to come forward.