Lakeview's Pride Fest celebration over the weekend saw two separate attacks that sent three to the hospital.
A man in his 30s was left in critical condition June 23 after an early morning stabbing in Lakeview. The stabbing occurred on the same night as Pride Fest, the annual Northalsted Business Alliance street fair held leading up to the Pride Parade, but it is not known if the incident was related to the fest.
According to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Michael Sullivan, the man suffered a stab wound to the back of his head. The incident occurred at the 700 block of West Sheridan at approximately 2:25 a.m.
The man was transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, said Sullivan.
Sullivan could not say whether the incident was related to Pride Fest.
Community activist and entertainer Cyon Flare came upon the victim, stumbling down the street, Flare said. Flare was leaving Pride Fest when he saw the man slump against a wall.
"He was bleeding profusely," said Flare. "He was literally covered in blood."
Flare said a cyclist tried to the help the victim while a cab driver dialed 911. Flare also called 911.
Flare said he did not know if the incident was related to Pride Fest, but added that he saw multiple fights after the fest closed.
According to Sullivan, no one is in custody. A description of an offender was not available, Sullivan said, because the victim was not cooperating with police.
Flare added that he did not believe the man could communicate.
"I saw a man that was convulsing, breathing heavily and couldn't speak," Flare said.
A second incident occurred later that morning at 5:10 a.m. said Officer Jose Estrada.
According to Estrada, two men were sitting on a curb on the 900 block of W. Belmont Ave., when three male offenders approached them and stole a cell phone. The two victims chased down the group and tried to detain one man.
"They were attacked by several additional offenders," said Estrada, adding that the victims were struck with bottles. It is not known how many attackers were part of the group, said Estrada.
The two were transported in serious condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Police arrested three alleged offenders.
Area North detectives are investigating.
In 2011, a series of high-profile violent crimes leading up to the Pride Parade in Boystown sparked intense fear and controversy in the city's official gay neighborhood.
Overcrowding, fighting and public intoxication at the parade preceded the creation of a Facebook page called "Take Back Boystown." The page set off an intense debate over safety and racial profiling in the neighborhood.
Parade organizers made several changes the Pride Parade after crowds nearly doubled from the previous year, and the changes seemed to ease many of the problems in 2012. But residents reported problems in the neighborhood later that evening and early the next morning.
This year's Pride Parade is scheduled for June 30.