A TV news crew from Spanish language Univision filming stories on the spike in robberies in Chicago were robbed at gunpoint, but miraculously no one was injured.
The bizarre incident took place early Monday morning around 4:30am in Wicker Park neighborhood, at 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, when a reporter and a photographer were on the street about to shoot a live shot before 5am
Three armed men wearing ski-masks pulled up in a black SUV and a gray sedan and first demanded money from the pair before stealing two bags of equipment, their camera and the photographers’ backpack before fleeing, according to the station and Raza Siddiqui, president of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians Local 41, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The reporter, who did not want to reveal his identity, and shared that the the only item of value stolen was the video camera, called the ordeal ‘total irony,’ as per Book Club Chicago.
‘As a journalist, you never want to be the story, right? You’re reporting on the story but you never think that you can become the story,’ he said, in part. ‘That’s not why we do this.’
Pictured: the Wicker Park neighborhood, at 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, where Monday morning’s robbery took place
Chicago Police have not been any arrests made in connection with the latest crime, CWB Chicago reported.
The reporter admitted that he and the camera person was shaken by the event and shared how important it is for anyone in the community and outside to always be vigilant.
‘So I guess it’s another reminder of how important it is to keep doing these stories and to keep pressure on our local authorities to try to prevent more events like that.’
A the time of the hold up the two-man crew was parked on Milwaukee Avenue just north of Ashland Avenue and Division Street.
Chicago police spokesperson confirmed that the robbery victims were a 28-year-old male and a 42-year-old man.
The reporter added, ‘This could happen to anybody. So it’s an eye opener, for anyone that works in news that this could happen. It happened to me early in the morning, but I think it could literally happen any time of day,’ he said.
Univision Chicago vice president of news Luis Godinez confirmed on Monday that the two men robbed were Univision employees, and that they are safe.
He said there were no injuries reported and Area 5 detectives are investigating.
Monday’s robbery, first reported by CWB Chicago, is the latest in a crime spree happening in Chicago’s Wicker Park, Bucktown, and West Town areas.
Between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, at least 30 people were robbed or carjacked, the news outlet reported.
Police said hours before the Univision TV crew was robbed, a woman was carjacked on the same block around 10:15pm on Sunday.
There have have been at least 164 robberies, in the areas of Wicker Park, West Town and Logan Square since the start of 2023. That number is up from 126 in 2022 and 94 in 2021, as per CWB.
A Chicago TV news videographer was robbed on August 8 on the West Side in the area of 2800 block of West Monroe, a report said.
The 45-year-old victim was approached by two men who asked him for money. The man did not sustain any injuries in the attack, a police spokesperson said.
Authorities classified the incident as an ‘attempted strong-arm robbery, theft, simple battery, and criminal damage to a vehicle.
Siddiqui told the Chicago Sun-Times that the union is in the process of arranging a safety meeting where members can attend and share their concerns.
He explained that some of the news stations involved with the union have planned to take additional safety measures.
Some of the new safety protocols, include assigning security to some television crews, he said.
‘We want to make sure that we provide a longer-lasting solution that we work not only with management but our members, and make sure that we read some protocols that everyone is happy with and feels can be a workable solution,’ Siddiqui said.