The Columbia Chronicle

BREAKING: Shots fired near Wabash Avenue, security warns to avoid area

September 23, 2020

Shots were fired at 822 S. Wabash Ave. Wednesday, Sept. 23 just after 3 p.m., according to a collegewide alert sent to the Columbia community. The alert said the scene is now secured and stabilized,...

Opinion: From my home in Kazakhstan to the US, protesters share similar fight for justice

September 23, 2020

Protests in Chicago and across the U.S. for the Black Lives Matter movement have strangely made me feel homesick. I emigrated from Kazakhstan two and a half years ago, and despite being located on t...

BREAKING NEWS: Reports of shots fired near administration building, all advised to stay away from the area

September 15, 2020

Updated Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 2:30 p.m. with an interview from Ron Sodini, associate vice president of Safety and Security. Shots were fired at the intersection of Harrison Street and Michigan Avenue...

Campus closed following night of looting and violence downtown

August 10, 2020

Dozens of businesses and storefronts—including one Columbia building—were looted and vandalized as hundreds of people descended upon the Magnificent Mile and other downtown areas, leading to conf...

Columbia students impacted physically and emotionally by protests, police violence

June 10, 2020

Protests “I just remember telling [the police], 'Are you going to kill me, too?’ … Because it felt like I was on the cusp of death. ... I have never witnessed such a hatred from anyone." S...

A group of protesters destroy a police vehicle, slashing its tires and jumping on the dash to shatter the glass.

Columbia buildings damaged, thousands march downtown for George Floyd protests

May 31, 2020

Residents in the South Loop woke up to businesses and buildings damaged by broken glass, looted storefronts and spray-painted messages after protests escalated and riots broke out Saturday night. ...

Opinion: Police sanctioned violence on CTA

By Margaret Smith, Opinions Editor

March 7, 2020

Gun violence in Chicago doesn’t only exist in a few sectioned-off neighborhoods, it doesn’t just happen in dark, tucked-away alleys or between citizens whose names will soon become part of the endless,...

Mayor Lori Lightfoot (center) announced Friday that former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Charlie Beck (right) would take over as police superintendent following the retirement of Eddie Johnson (left).

Editorial: Characteristics for a successful new police superintendent

November 14, 2019

Eddie Johnson announced his retirement as CPD superintendent. It came only weeks after Johnson launched an investigation into himself following an incident where he was found sleeping in his car after...

The Monday protest was led by Extinction Rebellion in conjunction with other affiliated groups.

Climate protesters break police lines

October 8, 2019

Several hundred climate protestors broke police lines near Daley Plaza Monday night, resulting in at least one arrest and blocked traffic. The protest, led by Extinction Rebellion in conjunctio...

Four Chicago police officers involved in the 2014 Laquan McDonald case were fired Thursday. Three were fired for making

Four police officers fired for their part in Laquan McDonald shooting, cover-up

July 18, 2019

Four police officers were fired by the Chicago Police Board Thursday night for their involvement in the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The officers allegedly attempted to cover up...

Illinois legislator pushes for rape kit electronic tracking system to end backlog

By Alexandra Yetter

February 22, 2019

Illinois House representatives are working to pass a bill to establish an electronic rape kit tracking system to tackle a processing backlog, but Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking and Reporting commissio...

Organizations not thrilled with new CPD license plate readers

January 28, 2019

A new program that allows the police to scan license plates and digitally track their data, to help combat the city's high numbers of carjackings, has come under fire by nonprofit groups that are worr...