Stray bullets from a robbery during a drug deal wounded two people in the Loop over the weekend, including a longtime stagehand who was scheduled to work on a performance of “Moulin Rouge!” that was later canceled, police and witnesses said.

After the 5 p.m. shooting in an alley in the 100 block of North Wabash Street, the Sunday evening performance of the musical at the nearby Nederlander Theatre was called off.

Ryan Bush, a stagehand at the Nederlander, said in an interview with the Sun-Times Monday that he was with his co-worker when the “frightening” incident unfolded.

“My buddy ended up getting in the crossfire,” he said.

Police said both victims were “unintended targets” of the shooting, which apparently stemmed from a drug deal between two groups of people at a nearby Taco Bell, police said. An argument broke out and someone “implied a weapon” and robbed the others, officials said.

The victims of that robbery then chased the offenders into an alley near the Chicago Theatre.

“The people who were robbed took out a firearm and started discharging at the individuals who took something from them,” Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said at a Monday news conference.

Bush said he and his co-worker had gone out to grab dinner between matinee and evening performances at the Nederlander when they heard gunfire and ducked.

“There was two guys running down the alley, running westbound toward State Street, and somebody was shooting at them,” he told the Sun-Times.

But Bush’s fellow stagehand — a 55-year-old from Elmhurst — couldn’t avoid the bullets and was struck in the right ear, police reports said. Bush said the bullet also pierced his friend’s neck.

Another witness, a bartender from the Chicago Theatre, also told officers that he saw three males running through the alley when he heard a pair of “pops,” leading the bartender to hide between trash cans, according to the reports. He then saw someone fire a handgun twice.

The second gunshot victim, a 27-year-old man from Gold Coast, was found with a wound to the hand, the reports state. He told officers he was walking with his girlfriend when he was struck.

Both victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition, police said. Neither saw the shooter, who later ditched his jacket near the State/Lake Red Line stop, according to a police report.

No arrests were reported. Deenihan told reporters that police were reviewing video on where “both groups went.”

Bush, a longtime stagehand who lives in Northwest Indiana, said it was a relief to get a text message from his co-worker early Monday saying he was “doing better” after being discharged from Northwestern.

“That’s my No. 1 guy there. He’s a great guy, stage hand, been in the business for 30-plus years,” Bush said, adding that his co-worker is a grandfather “just looking to retire.”

The shooting wasn’t specifically given as the reason for canceling Sunday evening’s performance of “Moulin Rouge!” An official statement attributed it to a “disturbance.”

Police said they deployed additional resources to the Theater District.

“We will continue to monitor the area and work closely with the Cook County sheriff’s police to enhance safety in our Theater District,” the department said in a statement.

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A day after Chicago’s mayor decried growing gun violence downtown, four people were wounded when two gunmen opened fire on an SUV stopped at a light in the Loop.

The blue Dodge Durango was stopped in the 400 block of South Wells Street when the gunmen fired from a sidewalk around 1:35 a.m., according to police.

A woman, 26, who was crossing the street was hit in the left leg and was taken in fair condition to Stroger Hospital.

Three people in the Durango were dropped off at Stroger: A 38-year-old man shot in the back and listed in critical condition; a 31-year-old woman shot in the back and legs and also listed in critical condition; and a 28-year-old woman shot in the left leg and listed in fair condition.

Police released no other details and reported no one in custody.

The shooting follows several downtown attacks over the weekend. Two people were hit by gunfire in an alley in the Chicago Theater District Sunday, including a stagehand for a musical that was later canceled for the evening. A teen fatally shot inside a Streeterville hotel, and a woman was killed outside 10 Bowling Lounge in River North.

Shooting have sharply risen in the Central and Near North police districts covering the Loop and River North. The districts have seen 23 homicide and shooting victims through April 30 of this year. That’s a 64% jump compared to the same time period in 2021, according to a Sun-Times analysis of police data.

The area had already seen a big rise in shooting and homicide victims over the past couple years. In 2021, there were 139 homicide and shooting victims, a 60% increase over the 87 victims in 2020 and a 167 % increase over the 52 in those districts in 2019.

The spike in the heart of the city comes as police announced that shootings trended downward by 16% across the city so far this year — meaning the downtown area continues to head in the wrong direction.

After the new numbers were released Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said city officials need to “step up our efforts downtown.”

“Particularly distressing is, again, the number of young people that seemingly are involved in acts of violence,” Lightfoot said at a news conference. “It’s clearly not acceptable and that’s why we’ve got to keep doing, I think, the things that we know are working.”

Police Supt. David Brown said his department is increasing patrols in the downtown area — as it is in other parts of the city.

“We are not going to be a part of treating one neighborhood differently than another based on whatever reasons,” Brown said. “All of these neighborhoods are important to us as the police department. We are adding resources not only to the downtown — we are adding to the downtown — but the CTA needs more resources and so does areas on the South Side and areas on the West Side.”

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Stray bullets from a robbery during a drug deal wounded two people in the Loop over the weekend, including a longtime stagehand who was scheduled to work on a performance of “Moulin Rouge!” that was later canceled, police and witnesses said.

After the 5 p.m. shooting in an alley in the 100 block of North Wabash Street, the Sunday evening performance of the musical at the nearby Nederlander Theatre was called off.

Ryan Bush, a stagehand at the Nederlander, said in an interview with the Sun-Times Monday that he was with his coworker when the “frightening” incident unfolded.

“My buddy ended up getting in the crossfire,” he said.

Police said both victims were “unintended targets” of the shooting, that apparently stemmed from a drug deal between two groups of people at a nearby Taco Bell, police said. An argument broke out and someone “implied a weapon” and robbed the others, officials said.

The victims of that robbery then chased the offenders into an alley near the Chicago Theatre.

“The people who were robbed took out a firearm and started discharging at the individuals who took something from them,” Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said at a Monday news conference.

Bush said he and his co-worker had gone out to grab dinner between matinee and evening performances at the Nederlander when they heard gunfire and ducked.

“There was two guys running down the alley, running westbound toward State Street and somebody was shooting at them,” he told the Sun-Times.

But Bush’s fellow stagehand — a 55-year-old from Elmhurst — couldn’t avoid the bullets and was struck in the right ear, police reports said. Bush said the bullet also pierced his friend’s neck.

Another witness, a bartender from the Chicago Theatre, also told officers that he saw three males running through the alley when he heard a pair of “pops,” leading the bartender to hide between trash cans, according to the reports. He then saw someone fire a handgun twice.

The second gunshot victim, a 27-year-old man from Gold Coast, was found with a wound to the hand, the reports state. He told officers he was walking with his girlfriend when he was struck.

Both victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition, police said. Neither saw the shooter, who later ditched his jacket near the State/Lake Red Line stop, according to a police report.

No arrests were reported. Deenihan told reporters police were reviewing video on where “both groups went.”

Bush, a longtime stagehand who lives in northwest Indiana, said it was a relief to get a text message from his co-worker early Monday saying he was “doing better” after being discharged from Northwestern.

“That’s my number one guy there. He’s a great guy, stage hand, been in the business for 30+ years,” Bush said, adding that his co-worker is a grandfather “just looking to retire.”

The shooting wasn’t specifically given as the reason for canceling Sunday evening’s performance of “Moulin Rouge!” An official statement attributed it to “disturbance.”

Police said they deployed additional resources to the Theater District.

“We will continue to monitor the area and work closely with the Cook County sheriff’s police to enhance safety in our Theater District,” the department said in a statement.

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It should come as no surprise that since pitch-tracking data became available in 2002, Chicago’s king of strike-zone judgment has been White Sox Hall of Famer Frank Thomas.

In his final Sox years from 2002 to 2005, Thomas swung at 12.5% of balls outside the strike zone. By contrast, Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has swung at 38.5% of pitches outside the zone in his career. Former Cubs-turned-Tigers shortstop Javy Baez has chased 44.2% of non-strikes.

Anderson and Baez have been offensive contributors, but the more patient Thomas was special. With 521 home runs and a .974 OPS built on .301/.419/.555 hitting, Thomas drew 1,667 walks. That’s 10th on MLB’s career list behind, in order, Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe Morgan, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Thome, Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott.

Patient hitters don’t go to the plate looking for walks. Walks are a welcome byproduct of what the Cubs in the Joe Maddon era called ”selective aggression.” That includes not only taking pitches out of the zone but taking strikes early in the count unless it’s a pitch the hitter can drive.

Thomas, whose career 159 weighted runs created plus tops players with at least 2,000 plate appearances for a Chicago team, took 37% of pitches in the strike zone in 2002-05. His overall swing percentage of 37.5% was the 12th-lowest in the majors.

How patient have Chicago players been in the first month of 2022? It’s early, so keep in mind numbers can — and will — shift dramatically.

Among Sox players with at least 50 plate appearances, Yasmani Grandal has swung at 22.9% of pitches outside the zone and has taken 40.7% of pitches in the zone. Grandal’s 38.9% overall swing percentage is the lowest on the Sox. Eight walks have been Grandal’s main offensive contribution while hitting .161/.254/.242.

Anderson has kept his usual pattern, swinging at 50.8% of pitches outside the zone, and Luis Robert has swung at 56.6% of such pitches. Anderson demonstrates patience itself isn’t the full story, given that he has walked only once but has been productive at .333/.351/.528.

On the North Side, Seiya Suzuki has swung at 19.2% of pitches outside the zone — a rise from 8% in the first eight games of the season but still tops among Cubs with at least 50 plate appearances. He also has taken 41.5% of pitches in the zone. That disciplined approach has him leading the team with a .926 OPS and 162 wRC+.

Right behind Suzuki is Ian Happ, who has an .859 OPS and 151 wRC+. Happ has gone about it differently, swinging at 30.4% of pitches outside the zone and 71.7% of pitches in the zone. He has improved his contact percentage when he swings, connecting on 77%, compared with 68% for his career.

We’ll never know how this compares to past Chicago hitters such as Billy Williams or Dick Allen. The data just isn’t there. But ballclubs always have an eye out for disciplined hitters, and there’s a by-the-numbers tool to help out.

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Stray bullets from a robbery during a drug deal wounded two people in the Loop over the weekend, including a stage hand who worked in the Theater District.

Hours after the shooting in an alley in the 100 block of North Wabash Street, a Sunday evening performance of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” was canceled at the Nederlander Theatre about two blocks away.

Both victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition, police said. Neither saw the shooter, who later ditched his jacket near the State/Lake Red Line stop, according to a police report.

The shooting apparently stemmed from a drug deal between two groups of people at a nearby Taco Bell, police said. An argument broke out and someone “implied a weapon” and robbed the others.

Both groups then ran south before the shooter opened fire, according to police, who said he may have been part of the group that was robbed.

Officers responded to a call of shots around 5 p.m. and found a shooting scene that extended into the alley in the first block of Benton Place, according to police reports.

Two stagehands who said they worked at the Nederlander told police they were walking east on Benton as two people were being chased the other way through the alley.One of the stagehands reported seeing someone fire at the two several times while running after them.

The other stagehand, a 55-year-old man from Elmhurst, was struck in the right ear, according to the reports. He told officers he was had just left the Chicago Theatre when he saw “a group of kids running” and he was shot.

A bartender from the Chicago Theatre told officers that he saw three males running through the alley when he heard a pair of “pops” and hid between trash cans, according to the reports. He then saw someone fire a handgun twice.

The second gunshot victim, a 27-year-old man from Gold Coast, was found with a wound to the hand, the reports state. He told officers he was walking with his girlfriend when he was struck.

No arrests were reported. Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan told reporters during a news conference that police were reviewing video on where “both groups went.”

The Sunday evening performance of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” at the Nederlander Theatre at 24 W. Randolph — about two blocks from the shooting — was canceled though the shooting wasn’t specifically given as the reason.

An official statement released to the media stated: “Due to an earlier disturbance in the Loop on Sunday afternoon, May 1, the evening performance of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” was cancelled. No other Broadway In Chicago productions were affected.”

Police said they deployed additional resources to the Theater District Sunday evening. “We will continue to monitor the area and work closely with the Cook County sheriff’s police to enhance safety in our Theater District,” the department said in a statement.

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Cubs catcher Willson Contreras stood in the hallway of the Truist Park visiting clubhouse in Atlanta, his whole body engaged in an earnest conversation with left-hander Justin Steele. The young starter smiled as Contreras told him that a guy with his stuff didn’t need to rush.

“One example that I pulled out was Jonny Lester pitching,” Contreras told the Sun-Times, referencing the former Cubs ace. “And he never rushed. He just made sure he executed as many pitches as he could.”

As a catcher, and one of three remaining players from the 2016 World Series team, part of Contreras’ job description is helping the Cubs get the most out of their pitching staff. And the club needs strong performances from young pitchers to compete this year and build that “next great Cubs team,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer keeps talking about.

Of course, there’s a whole team of coaches, led by pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, whose main focus is drawing out the best version of each pitcher on the roster. But in-game, when Contreras is behind the dish, he’s the pitcher’s best resource from pitch to pitch.

“He just really knows what to say when, when to push a guy, when to take him to the side,” said veteran Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who has witnessed Contreras’ development from rookie to established catcher. “He’s really good on that vocal aspect. I think he’s learned from a lot of the other veterans that we’ve had in the past, that we’ve had around here. But he’s been amazing for the guys.”

Passion is a hallmark of Contreras’ play, an attribute that translates over the broadcast feed and can be spotted from the upper deck at Wrigley Field. It’s helped make him a two-time All-Star who is expected to be the best all-around catcher in the next free agent class if he and the Cubs – or any club the Cubs might trade him to at the deadline – don’t agree on an extension.

Contreras’ experience and intensity also fuel his influence with young pitchers. He has the power to fire up or deflate, a heavy responsibility.

“Be vocal whenever I need to be vocal,” Contreras said of his approach. “But I want to be a leader for my pitchers, teach them the right way, let them know whenever they’re doing something off, or whenever they get stubborn, I’ll be honest. But I think the communication between the pitchers and I is really clean.”

Contreras’ relationship with some of the Cubs’ young pitchers goes back to before their major-league debuts. Contreras has known Steele for years, through right-hander Adbert Alzolay. Contreras got to know rookie Ethan Roberts when the catcher was on a rehab assignment in Triple-A late last season.

Before he left the Iowa Cubs, Contreras told Roberts he’d be on the 40-man roster by the offseason, and the catcher would see him in Spring Training. Roberts brushed off the compliment, but Contreras proved to be right.

In the spring, Contreras doubled down and told Roberts he’d make the Opening Day roster. Contreras was right about that too.

“His opinion weighs a lot on a young guy like me,” Roberts said. “That was very important to me that he said that and very special. … He had confidence, and he knew exactly what he’s talking about.”

The Cubs have a handful of young pitchers in prominent roles, or waiting in the wings like Alzolay, who is on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain.

The Cubs placed Roberts (right shoulder inflammation) on the 10-day IL this weekend, helping to bring the Cubs’ active roster down to 26 players as April roster expansion ended Monday. But Keegan Thompson has been a bright spot for the 9-13 Cubs so far, posting a 0.54 ERA in a multi-inning reliever role. And Steele is the youngest member of the Cubs’ rotation, in his second MLB season.

As Steele works to reclaim the standard he set for himself in a couple strong starts to begin the year, he’ll have Contreras behind the plate and in the clubhouse reminding him that his stuff plays in the strike zone.

“We’ve been pretty good friends for a pretty good while now,” Steele said, “and he knows exactly how to approach me, how to talk to me and stuff, which is good to have that relationship with a catcher.”

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