What some call a dangerous trend reported among several women in New York City could now be happening in Chicago.
Several women have reported being punched in the face while simply walking down the street minding their own business. One woman reported being a victim of such an attack while walking near State Street and Chicago Avenue on the Near North Side this past Saturday evening. The intersection is a busy one, with a high-traffic Red Line stop beneath it.
Chicago police confirmed that a 52-year-old woman was walking near State Street and Chicago Avenue Saturday evening when a man hit her in the face.
Police said he then picked up the belongings the woman had dropped and threw them across the street before taking off.
It is unclear what motivated the attack, but an apparent witness took to social media to warn.
Emily Ruth said in the TikTok video that it is so scary that it’s happening in New York and now Chicago. She told everyone to be extra aware and “stay safe.”
The victim who was hit in Chicago refused medical attention.
Police said they are investigating the case, and there have been no arrests since late Thursday.
In New York City, there has been a pattern of random attacks on women in recent weeks. Just within three days last week, several women were punched in the head in random attacks in the busy Manhattan districts of Chinatown, the West Village, Chelsea, and Midtown.
The attacks have been happening in broad daylight for no apparent reason and have left the victims with black eyes and swelling.
One woman, Halley Kate, posted a video about being attacked in New York that went viral on TikTok, garnering tens of millions of views. Several other women have similarly posted TikTok videos documenting being attacked out of the blue in New York.
A man has been arrested and charged in the attack on Kate, 23, and sources say he is a suspect in several other such attacks. But the attacks have not stopped. There may be multiple people behind the attacks, and they do not seem connected.
