Bureau of Alcohol

Authorities Offer $61K Reward For Info On ATF Agent Shooting

The agent was working on a federal investigation with Chicago police officers when the shooting occurred

What to Know

  • The federal agent was working on a joint investigation with CPD when the shooting occurred
  • He was expected to make a full recovery, an ATF spokeswoman said
  • Authorities are searching for a suspect in the shooting

Authorities are offering a $61,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects who shot a federal agent in the face Friday morning on Chicago's South Side.

"You think we're going to take this lying down?" Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Friday afternoon, addressing the suspects. "I got a message for you: We're coming."

The shooting took place at around 3:18 a.m. in the 4500 block of South Hermitage in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood.

An ATF agent was shot in the face Friday morning in Chicago, and a group of agencies have provided updates on their search for the shooter responsible. 

“The people who did this will not have a lot of friends,” said Jeffrey Sallet, FBI Chicago division chief, after announcing the reward.

Celinez Nunez, special agent in charge of the ATF's Chicago field divison, first announced that several sources were putting forth $36,000 in reward money.

Sallet then took the stand and announced the FBI was making a contribution of $25,000 to the fund, making a total of $61,000. Sallet said the total came to $51,000.

Nunez called for the community to work with law enforcement during the investigation.

A group of agencies, including CPD, the FBI, and the ATF, have provided an update after an ATF agent was shot in the face Friday morning on Chicago’s South Side. 

“I implore on everybody today to help us bring the assailants responsible for this to justice," Nunez said. "This is an all-hands-on-deck situation."

The agent was working on a federal investigation with Chicago police officers when the shooting occurred, CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said

The ATF agent was taken to a hospital for treatment in critical condition, but will survive and make a full recovery, Nunez said.

Authorities declined to give the agent's age and identity due to the ongoing investigation but said he is a Chicagoan.

"I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners throughout the country that have reached out to us and given us their full support," Nunez said at a Friday morning conference.

A reward of over $60,000 is being offered for information in connection with the shooting of an ATF agent Friday morning. 

Another officer was taken by ambulance to an area hospital for observation, Guglielmi said in a second tweet, but he added that CPD had not received any reports of a second agent or officer shot. 

Johnson ordered the "full deployment of Chicago Police specialized units to assist" the ATF in the investigation, Guglielmi said, including the organized crime units, as well as area gang, saturation and gun teams. 

No one was in custody in connection with the shooting, according to police, who continue to investigate.

The reward is funded by various sources including U.S. Marshals, the FBI and the ATF.

“I implore on everybody today to help us bring the assailants responsible for this to justice. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation” – Celinez Nunez, special agent in charge of ATF Chicago’s field division.

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