18th Ward Council member accidentally shot himself cleaning neighbor’s gun, he says

A Southwest Side member of the City Council shot himself Monday afternoon, telling the Sun-Times the accident happened while he was helping a neighbor with a firearm that had been “malfunctioning at the gun range.”

Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) suffered a gunshot wound to his wrist around noon while cleaning a gun in the 8200 block of South Christiana Avenue, according to a Chicago police alert. Curtis was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition.

Later Monday, Curtis texted a statement to the Sun-Times, saying he had been examining a neighbor’s gun, “which had been malfunctioning at the gun range.”

“It was found that the gun needed cleaning and other repairs,” according to the statement, which said that Curtis is a concealed-carry license instructor. “When putting the gun back together, it malfunctioned and discharged into Ald. Curtis’ hand.

“Ald. Curtis has undergone minor surgery on his hand and is doing well.”

A person entering the home listed in the police alert declined to talk to a Sun-Times reporter.

Curtis, a close ally of Mayor Lori Lightfoot who was first elected in 2015, is a former Chicago Housing Authority police officer. He has spoken out strongly against the flow of illegal guns into Chicago.

In response to questions from the Sun-Times’ editorial board in 2019, he said officials “need to continue to stop the demand for guns by continuing to invest in underserved communities through economic development [and] create jobs, mentorship and job skills training.”

He also raised the possibility of suing the state of Indiana to target gun sellers “for failing to adhere to basic standards of accountability” and called for coordination with state legislators around gun issues.

Curtis is a low-key member of the City Council from a ward that includes the neighborhoods of North Beverly, Auburn Gresham, Wrightwood, Chicago Lawn, Ashburn/Parkview and Scottsdale.

Prior to becoming alderperson, Curtis spent 10 years as the 18th Ward’s sanitation superintendent. He built his street credibility while chairing a local school council, serving as a scoutmaster, coach and mentor of local youth and cooking what his website describes as “some of the best BBQ ribs on the South Side.”

In mid-August, the Chicago Board of Ethics slapped Curtis with a $1,000 fine for using his official city email account to advertise an event that launched Lightfoot’s reelection campaign.

The fine stemmed from a June 2 email that Curtis wrote inviting his constituents to the mayor’s reelection kickoff at Starlight Restaurant on June 8. About 100 residents were urged to reserve a spot at the “supporter” breakfast by contacting Curtis’ ward office.

A citizen complaint triggered the ethics board’s investigation. The board subsequently determined there was probable cause to conclude that Curtis had violated the city’s ethics ordinance by including “campaign-related content in official ward newsletter emails from a cityofchicago.org email address, contrary to clear board guidance on the improper mixing of political and official content in newsletters and websites” sent by Chicago elected officials.

Days after the Lightfoot launch, Curtis told reporters the invitation was sent from his personal email account. He said he closed his ward office for a few hours on the morning of Lightfoot’s announcement so his staff would be free to attend. Many members of Curtis’ staff did just that, wearing T-shirts with the 18th Ward logo.

“It was their choice,” Curtis said then.