A man appeared to point a gun directly at the camera of a Fox 32 Chicago crew during a live report on gun violence early Thursday.
Footage showed a man walking into the camera’s view and pointing a firearm directly at the crew as Fox 32 Chicago reporter Joanie Lum was in the middle of a live report on the channel’s early morning show, Good Morning Chicago. The man walked away from the camera and appeared to point the gun into the air, footage shows.
Chicago police issued a community alert after the incident, reporter Natalie Bomke said, and are now searching for the suspect on grounds of committing aggravated assault with a firearm.
Good Morning Chicago anchor Anita Padilla said Lum and the crew are “shaken” but unharmed. (RELATED: Burger King Employee Allegedly Pulls Gun At Customers Over Method Of Payment Dispute)
“It happened to @JoanieLum and her photographer at 7:06 a.m. The gun was one foot from her head as he pointed at the camera or cameraman Gary,” she said. “She is understandably shaken. Thank God she is okay.”
It happened to @JoanieLum and her photog at 7:06am. The gun was one foot from her head as he pointed at the camera or cameraman Gary. She is understandably shaken. Thank God she is okay.
— ANITA PADILLA FOX 32 (@AnitaPadilla32) May 25, 2022
Lum and the outlet’s photographer were not injured in the incident, Bomke reported.
“We want to say thank you to the viewers who were watching Good Day Chicago and called or emailed to make sure our crew was okay,” she said.