Halloween Horror Shooting as Crowd Gunned Down 'in Just a Few Seconds'

At least 13 people were shot "in just a few seconds" in a drive-by shooting in Chicago on Halloween.

The gunfire erupted at about 9.30 p.m. on Monday night, as people gathered at the corner of California Avenue and Polk Street in the city's Garfield Park neighborhood, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said during a news briefing.

Brown initially said that 14 people were shot, but police revised the number to 13 in a statement early on Tuesday.

The victims were transported to hospitals in conditions ranging from non-life-threatening to critical, Brown said. No fatalities have been reported, he said.

Three children were among the victims, a three-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. All three are in a serious condition in hospital, according to police.

A woman who was attempting to flee the scene was struck by a vehicle, police said. She was transported to Stroger Hospital in a fair condition.

Brown said no one is yet in custody in connection with the incident.

Police said a preliminary investigation indicated that a group of people were standing on the corner of California and Polk for a vigil when the shooting occurred.

"There may have also been others gather for other various reasons," Brown said. "It's a very common corner to be, where people congregate and have different meetings and gatherings."

Footage from a Police Observation Device (POD) indicates that there were at least two shooters, Brown said, but he added that number could change.

"We do have some video of this incident on a POD," he said.

"We know it's a drive by. We know what happens in just a few seconds. It begins and it's over by three seconds... the car's pulling out after driving by and shooting randomly, really, into the crowd."

The vehicle was last seen fleeing southbound from the scene, and Brown said officers haven't determined a motive for the shooting.

He said there were no known conflicts at the corner on Monday night and that detectives are waiting to interview the shooting victims.

"Once our detectives have a chance to interview some of the victims once they get treated and and are able to interview with us, hopefully some will give us information to give us some idea of what the motive might have been," he said.

He urged anyone with information about the incident to contact law enforcement or leave an anonymous tip with CPD Tips.