A man pulled what appeared to be a handgun on a local TV news crew during a live report on gun violence in Chicago.
Per the Independent, Fox 32 Chicago was broadcasting live on Wednesday (May 25) shortly before 7:00 AM when a man walked into view with what is suspected to be a small handgun, pointed at the camera behind reporter Joanie Lum.
Lum was delivering a segment about the city's rising gun violence crisis for Good Day Chicago, which had risen by 66% from 2019 to 2021, at the time, according to the Deadline.
At first, the unidentified man can be seen walking into the left side of the frame and then holding the presumed firearm behind the reporter's head, and aiming toward the camera crew.
Watch the incident below:The shocking incident occurred during Lum's report about the city's shooting problem. Earlier this month in Chicago, there was a deadly shooting of a teenager in the city's Millennium Park. Two people were killed and seven were wounded, according to The New York Post.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed the growing gun crime by announcing new regulations on minors in recent weeks. This includes a 10:00 PM curfew for minors throughout the city and a 6:00 PM curfew at all public parks unless they're with a supervised adult.
The nation is also still reeling from the mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, and Tuesday's (May 24) mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Alarmed viewers of the news channel contacted the television station to express their concern.
Natalie Bomke, the studio anchor explained the situation after it happened, saying: "Right now the police are calling this man a person of interest, accused of aggravated assault with a firearm."
She continued: "If you have any information regarding who he is or where he is, please contact Chicago police."
"Our reporter and photographer were not injured," Bomke added. "And we want to say thank you to the viewers who were watching ‘Good Day Chicago’ and called or emailed to make sure that our crew was okay."
Police have asked the Chicago community to help identify the man. Anyone with information is asked to call Chicago police.
