A Chicago woman who risked her own life to save a couple from a violent mob during Sunday’s “Teen Takeover” has scolded Mayor Lori Lightfoot for “sugarcoating” the “chaos.”
Lenora Dennis was hailed as a hero after being identified as the woman who stepped in to save a couple from a brutal attack during the weekend’s “teen riots.”
Dennis, who witnessed the attacks himself, has since rebuked Mayor Lightfoot’s “sugar coating” of the events.
This came after outgoing Mayor Lightfoot tried to ignore the out-of-control rioting, telling a local reporter that it was incorrect to call the scene “chaos” and that most people were downtown “because the weather was nice and it was an opportunity to enjoy. the city’.
The shocking scenes saw an uncontrolled mob of teenagers set fire to downtown Chicago, leading to at least two shootings and more than a dozen arrests.
Lenora Dennis hailed as a hero after being identified as the woman who stepped in to save a couple from a brutal attack
Mayor Lightfoot tried to ignore the out-of-control rioting, telling a local reporter it was incorrect to call the scene “chaos.” She is pictured at the National Action Network Convention, New York, April 13, 2023
“I’m sorry, Lightfoot. I voted for you, but I can’t be involved in any way with what I saw,’ Dennis said Fox news. “That was chaos.”
She also told the publication she felt compelled to intervene because she feared the young woman would be killed.
“It was just something I had to do because I couldn’t accept that.”
The horrific attack came as crowds of young rioters descended on downtown Chicago, sparking widespread chaos and looting.
Footage from the evening of mayhem saw teens vandalize a bus, while others erupted in a mass brawl around Millennium Park.
Multiple gunshots rang out throughout the Windy City and three teens were shot in two separate incidents amid the carnage. A total of 16 people were arrested after the chaos weekend, while numerous vehicles were also seized and set on fire in the street during the riots.
Despite this, Mayor Lightfoot defended the teens, telling local reporters, “The vast majority of young people who came downtown came downtown because the weather was nice and it was an opportunity to enjoy the city. That is absolutely, completely appropriate.
“There are a few that came with different intentions. They have and they will be addressed. But I’m not going to use your language, which I think is wrong, to say there is ‘chaos.’
Ahead of widespread rioting over the weekend, law enforcement officers set up perimeters in downtown Chicago
In the ugly scenes of downtown Chicago, countless cars were vandalized or set on fire this weekend
The Windy City descended into chaos as hordes of young agitators filled the streets. Police officers and ambulances can be seen in the city center
Chicago’s Millennium Park was filled with a heavy police presence to fight the teen riot crowd all weekend
In the midst of the carnage, a Tesla was set on fire. About 16 people were arrested after the scenes
The riots led to 16 arrests and three shootings in two separate incidents as Chicago descended into chaos
The rowdy group set cars on fire and got into a fight as gunfire rang out through the city. Police were pictured in response to the chaos
Ashley Knutson and Devante Garrison-Johnson, victims of the attack, have since hailed Dennis as a hero, saying the ordeal could have been much worse had she not intervened.
Also speaking Fox news earlier this week, the two said the terrifying mob warned them “they were going to kill us.”
The couple said they came home after a night of shopping before “everything went crazy.” They described being overrun by rioters when Knutson was pinned to the ground.
Garrison-Johnson then confronted the attackers, the pair said, before being quickly overrun.
The teen agitators beat the couple, stealing their shoes, phones, sunglasses, an Apple Watch and a hat.
“I have a black eye,” Garrison-Johnson added. ‘My face is confused. Shoulder is pretty f***** up too, it’s out of place. My back hurts.’
Chicago’s Democratic mayor-elect — who defeated Lightfoot in the February election — said the city shouldn’t demonize the teens who orchestrated the takeover.
Brandon Johnson, 47, said he “does not condone the destructive activity” and that it is “unacceptable and has no place” in Chicago, but that it should not be used as a way to defame the group.
A young couple attacked by teenage rioters in Chicago, Ashley Knutson and Devante Garrison-Johnson, revealed that the mob threatened to “kill” them
Outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was recently voted out, defended the rioters, saying she thought the term “chaos” was imprecise
Chicago’s democratically elected mayor, Brandon Johnson, said the city should not demonize the teens who staged the takeover
“However, it is not constructive to demonize young people who otherwise do not get opportunities in their own communities,” Johnson said.
Johnson is a former union organizer who has called for new taxes and more social programs in Chicago. He will take office on May 15.
Despite the outcry over the violence and destruction, Johnson said he believes “working together” is the only way forward to provide safer spaces for younger people.
“Our city must work together to create spaces where young people can come together safely and responsibly, under the guidance and supervision of adults, to ensure that every part of our city remains welcome for residents and visitors alike,” he said in a statement.