11 adults and a three-year-old child were reportedly hit by gunfire in a South Chicago park.
Four of the 12 victims are said to be in a critical condition.
According to CNN, the shooting was reported late Thursday night in the Back of the Yards neighborhood and the police had taped off an outdoor basketball court there.
No suspects have been taken in custody yet and a police spokesman said that investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.
Reports suggest that the child is believed to be in a critical condition as the bullet hit his ear and existed through the mouth while a man, shot twice in the stomach is also in a serious condition at the Mount Sinai Hospital.
The FBI's annual crime report week showed Chicago had 500 homicides in 2012, up from 431 in 2011 and more than any other American city.