Woman shot at White Sox game sues team and stadium authority

CHICAGO (AP) — A woman who was shot in the leg during a White Sox game last year is suing the team and the Illinois agency that owns Guaranteed Rate Field.

The woman was in the left-field bleachers in Section 161 when she was shot during the fourth inning of a game against the Oakland A’s on Aug. 25, 2023, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Monday. She was 42 years old at the time. A 26-year-old woman sitting in the same section suffered a graze wound to her abdomen.

The plaintiff’s attorney, John J. Malm, issued a news release on Thursday saying the action had been filed in Cook County Circuit Court, identifying her only as Jane Doe to spare her further harm.

The lawsuit maintains that the White Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority failed to enforce a stadium prohibition on firearms and protect attendees from foreseeable dangers. She’s seeking more than $50,000 in damages, personal injuries and losses.

Police said in September 2023 that it was unclear whether the gunfire originated from inside or outside the stadium. Malm said in his news release that a firearm was allowed inside the stadium and went off, injuring the plaintiff, but doesn’t offer any evidence supporting that claim. Asked for a copy of the actual lawsuit, he said he would consider it but had not provided one to the AP as of mid-afternoon Tuesday.

Asked Tuesday if detectives had determined where the gunfire came from, Chicago Police spokesman Nathaniel Blackman would say only that the investigation remains open.

A telephone message left with the team’s media relations department seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned. Maria Saldana, the ISFA’s general counsel, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.