CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—A Univision Chicago news team was robbed at gunpoint early Monday morning while filming a report on a string of armed robberies in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, Your Content has learned.
The incident occurred around 5 a.m. CDT and involved three masked men who were armed.
The robbery of the news crew comes amidst a growing concern over crime in the Chicago area, particularly armed robberies. The journalists were specifically covering a recent series of these crimes, including an armed carjacking that took place on the same block where they were robbed.
The reporter and photographer were not injured during the robbery. This is the second incident this month in which a news crew has been targeted in Chicago.
Luis Godinez, vice president of news at Univision Chicago, told the Chicago Tribune: “They were approached with guns and robbed. Mainly it was personal items, and they took a camera.
“They’re OK, and we’re working on it together as a team.”
Another incident was reported on August 6, where a photographer for WLS-TV was robbed and assaulted while covering a news conference.
The Chicago Police Department has identified the Univision Chicago news crew as two males, ages 28 and 42, but is not disclosing their names to protect their privacy.
The journalist, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that a video camera was the sole valuable item taken, describing the situation as “total irony,” according to 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 partially commented. “That’s not why we do this.”
Luis Godinez, the vice president of news at Univision Chicago, verified on Monday that the individuals robbed were employees of Univision, and assured they are unharmed.
Godinez stated that no injuries were recorded and that detectives from Area 5 are currently looking into the incident.
The alarming incident not only adds to the rising statistics of armed robberies in Chicago but also raises questions about the safety of journalists reporting in the city.