Amigo The Devil

Day 2 of Riot Fest got off to a twisted start with darkminded singer-songwriter Amigo The Devil, who was the antithesis of what most might expect from the genre.

The artist, born Danny Kiranos, brought out a heavy bag of murder ballads and revenge songs paired with expressive facial twitches that made you wonder if you should maybe avoid eye contact as he rolled through the set.

From the lurid step-by-step detail of how he’d exact vengance on a person who harmed a child in “Better Ways To Fry A Fish” to the Jim Jones-inspired song “Hungover In Jonestown,” Kiranos’ set was mired in the macabre and a good bit of cabaret theater that made him an early favorite of the day.

Jokingly describing himself as the “fat Dave Grohl,” Kiranos’ comparison was fitting in at least the same way he is able to command a crowd — and does it solo on top of it. “We just set up the drums for fun,” he mused, pointing out that he in fact does not have a band in the project.

Though Kiranos does move well between acoustic and electric guitars and the banjo, it would be interesting to seem him with a full backing lineup to really amplify the shock and awe he delivers. A cover of “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” was a bizarre best bet but it’s his original material — told in incredible narrative style – that makes him our true crime-obsessed generation’s new Johnny Cash.

Meg Myers

Meg Myers performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Friday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Meg Myers’ afternoon set came to an abrupt ending as she had to cut things short right in the middle of her superb take on Kate Bush’s perennial hit “Running Up That Hill” as she went into overtime. Though, anyone watching the ingenue would have wondered where the time went as her performance was nothing short of a hypnotic thrill — which may or may not have been a side effect of being blinded by her holographic jumpsuit.

Tracks like the breathy “Desire” to the staunch pop anthem “Any Way You Wanna Love” were well-placed in her performance, further edifying her as a lost relic of the evocative ’90s alt rock realm while keeping up with the best of modern pop songwriters.

She gave flashbacks of Tori Amos’ best in key-heavy tracks while also channeling the aggro poetry of artists like Liz Phair and making it all completely her own. Standouts included bringing out collaborator Morgxn for their emotive duet “I Hope You Cry” as well as padding her set with a drummer and electric guitarist whose sonic wails were the gravy on her song plate.

Myers stumbled on some new material, restarting a song or two while blaming it on her “unique ears.”

Check back for more reviews…

NOTE: There are plenty of COVID-19 safety protocols in place for the festival including hand sanitizing and handwashing stations throughout the park, and an onsite COVID vaccination station (courtesy of St. Anthony Hospital; Pfizer and J&J vaccines only). In addition, all attendees must show proof of a full vax or negative COVID test results (the latter within 48 hours of entry date) accompanied by a valid, government-issued photo ID to gain entry each day.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Schimpf has mostly followed Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment and avoided speaking ill of his Republican opponents.

Until now.

When a relative unknown named Jesse Sullivan jumped into the race earlier this month with a nearly $11 million out-of-state-funded campaign war chest, state Sen. Darren Bailey and businessperson Gary Rabine both called him a member of the San Francisco/Silicon Valley “elite” because that’s where his business was located and where much of his campaign money came from.

The Silicon Valley angle took hold in segments of the mainstream media. Did Sullivan really live in downstate Petersburg, as he claimed, or did he live in the San Francisco area? Sullivan’s campaign pushed back hard on the out-of-state angle, insisting he was a Petersburg guy who had made lots of influential business friends in California and other states.

But Schimpf, a former state senator, actually welcomed Sullivan into the fray, saying, “another robust campaign spreading the message that J.B. Pritzker is undeserving of reelection is good news for the Illinois Republican Party.”

Schimpf was born on an Air Force base in the Metro East, graduated from Annapolis Naval Academy, then graduated from law school and served 20 years in the US Marines, serving as the chief American adviser to prosecutors in Saddam Hussein’s trial. His service, to my knowledge, has not been questioned, but his ire was raised by some of Jesse Sullivan’s campaign claims.

The neophyte Sullivan has peppered his campaign website and announcement with photos of himself in military uniform.

“I proudly served our nation in uniform doing counterinsurgency work in Helmand Afghanistan with the US Department of Defense,” Sullivan declared in his campaign announcement speech near Petersburg.

Sullivan was part of what was known as the Army’s Human Terrain System, which recruited civilians with social science backgrounds to help military commanders understand the local populations. A 2012 profile of Sullivan in the State Journal-Register mentioned that his team, “left the British military unit stationed in the area with recommendations for strengthening the local police force and reopening a school.”

When I questioned Sullivan’s campaign about this seeming rhetorical contradiction, they acknowledged that he was an Army civilian without veteran status who nevertheless “led and participated in combat patrols in Afghanistan.”

The Army’s unclassified handbook on the Human Terrain Team says its leaders were active duty or retired military officers. So, I asked, how could Sullivan have “led” combat patrols?

Sullivan’s campaign responded with a 300-word background statement which claimed Sullivan’s Army team leader never left the base. Instead, the campaign claimed, Sullivan led a small team consisting usually of “another human terrain analyst, possibly a social scientist depending on the mission, and an interpreter,” which would, “embed with a military unit.” Sullivan, “was responsible for translating military objectives into collection priorities, executing the collection mission, reporting back, and advising the military decision-making process.”

To me, the long-winded explanation looked more like Sullivan had led a small group of advisers alongside soldiers in combat areas than actually leading what most would consider “combat patrols.” That still took courage, so why embellish it?

I sent Schimpf everything I had from the Sullivan campaign along with my own self-directed research. Schimpf was initially reluctant to say anything about Sullivan, but eventually issued this response:

“Although Jesse Sullivan, who is not a veteran and has never been on active duty, should be commended for having worked in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor, his claim to have led combat patrols flies in the face of Department of Defense regulations and established practices. While civilian contractors may be armed and act in defensive roles such as providing security, the use of contractors in contingency operations is specifically limited in DoD Instruction 3020.41 to support operations ‘in a non-combat role.’ If Mr. Sullivan wants to claim unprecedented combat leadership experience as a civilian contractor, he should identify the officer that he directly reported to while in theater in order to verify this extraordinary assertion. Otherwise, he should correct the misleading language on his website.”

Sullivan has managed to make a big splash in the Republican primary. He’s a young, handsome made-for-TV candidate and already has way more money than any of his opponents could ever likely hope to raise. But Sullivan should probably stop digging holes that he’ll eventually have to fill himself. It’s a really bad habit and I’ve seen it fatally backfire more than once. Like I said before, there’s no need to embellish this stuff.

And, for sure, this military combat claim needs to be cleared up right away.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

Send letters to [email protected].

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MADISON, Wis. — A judge ruled Friday that prosecutors can’t argue that an Antioch man who shot three people during a protest against police brutality in Wisconsin is affiliated with the Proud Boys or that he beat up a woman months before the shootings, bolstering his position as he prepares for a politically charged trial.

Kyle Rittenhouse is set to stand trial beginning Nov. 1 on multiple counts, including homicide. The 18-year-old argues he opened fire in self-defense after the men attacked him. Prosecutors signaled that they plan to show infrared video from an FBI surveillance plane that proves Rittenhouse chased down the first man he shot.

Kenosha was in the throes of several nights of chaotic demonstrations after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man who was paralyzed from the waist down. Rittenhouse traveled from his home in Antioch to Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, in response to a call on social media to protect businesses there.

Rittenhouse shot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz with an AR-style rifle, killing Rosenbaum and Huber and wounding Grosskreutz. Conservatives across the country have rallied around Rittenhouse, raising $2 million to cover his bail. Black Lives Matter supporters have painted him as a trigger-happy racist.

During a hearing Friday on several motions, Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger asked to argue at trial that Rittenhouse subscribes to the Proud Boys’ white supremacist philosophies and violent tactics. Binger pointed out that Rittenhouse was seen at a bar with members of the white nationalist group’s Wisconsin chapter in January and traveled to Miami days later that to meet the group’s national president.

Binger also asked the judge to allow evidence that Rittenhouse attacked a woman in June 2020 as she was fighting his sister. He also wants to show jurors video from 15 days before the shootings in which Rittenhouse said he would like to shoot some men he thought were shoplifting from a pharmacy.

Binger said Rittenhouse’s affiliation with the Proud Boys, the fight and the video show Rittenhouse’s propensity toward violence. He described Rittenhouse as a “chaos tourist” and “teenage vigilante” who came to Kenosha looking for trouble.

Rittenhouse attorney Corey Chirafisi countered that none of the events are relevant to the shootings. Nothing shows Rittenhouse was connected to the Proud Boys on the night of the protest or that the shootings were racially motivated, Chirafisi said, pointing out that Rittenhouse and all of the men he shot were white.

Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder agreed with the defense about the June fight and interactions Rittenhouse has had with the Proud Boys. He deferred a decision on the pharmacy video but said he was inclined to exclude it.

It was during discussion about that video that Binger said prosecutors have infrared surveillance footage of Rittenhouse chasing Rosenbaum, who was the first person Rittenhouse shot.

Rittenhouse attorney Mark Richards maintained it was Rosenbaum who started chasing Rittenhouse, yelling out, “Kill him!” He said Rosenbaum cornered Rittenhouse in front of a row of cars in a parking lot and threw a bag at him before trying to grab Rittenhouse’s gun.

Binger said the surveillance footage shows Rittenhouse chasing Rosenbaum with a fire extinguisher before Rosenbaum turned to confront him. Binger said Rosenbaum was probably trying to push the barrel of Rittenhouse’s rifle away.

After Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum, people in the streets began chasing him. Video from the night of the protests shows Rittenhouse shot Huber after Huber hit him with a skateboard and tried to grab his gun. Grosskreutz then approached Rittenhouse with a gun and Rittenhouse shot him.

Schroeder denied a defense request to argue that Rosenbaum was trying to steal Rittenhouse’s rifle because Rosenbaum was a sex offender and couldn’t legally possess a firearm.

He delayed ruling on defense requests to dismiss a charge that Rittenhouse possessed his gun illegally because he was a minor and to allow testimony from an expert on police use-of-force. He set another hearing for Oct. 5.

___

Associated Press writers Michael Tarm in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Doug Glass in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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Day 2 of Riot Fest got underway Friday afternoon in Douglass Park beneath sunny skies and warm winds.

On tap for day: Lupe Fiasco, Beach Bunny, Smashing Pumpkins, Coheed and Cambria, Living Colour, Fishbone and a whole lot more.

Looking ahead to the rest of the fest, the lineup boasts Slipknot, Gwar and Run the Jewels, among others.

There are plenty of COVID-19 safety protocols in place for the festival including hand sanitizing and handwashing stations throughout the park, and an onsite COVID vaccination station (courtesy of St. Anthony Hospital; Pfizer and J&J vaccines only). In addition, all attendees must show proof of a full vax or negative COVID test results (the latter within 48 hours of entry date) accompanied by a valid, government-issued photo ID to gain entry each day.

A carnival provides a break from the music. And if you’re so inclined, a free onsite wedding chapel is available for those seeking to get married.

Here are some of the sights at Day 2 of Riot Fest:

Fishbone performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park, Friday afternoon, Sept. 17, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Fishbone performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park, Friday afternoon, Sept. 17, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Amigo The Devil performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Amigo The Devil performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Meg Myers performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Friday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Meg Myers performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Friday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Festival-goers fan out in Douglass Park for Day 2 of Riot Fest, Friday afternoon, Sept. 17, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Fans cheer as Amigo The Devil performs on Day 2 of Riot Fest.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

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Walter McFall was a Black chemical engineer who knew what it felt like to be the only one in the room.

He wanted that to change.

He helped many young women and people of color break into engineering and “did it with humor and compassion,” said Anne Perusek, publications director at the Society of Women Engineers.

At SWE career fairs, he’d rewrite student resumes and demonstrate how to greet a potential boss with a hearty handshake. He’d bring a computer program and high-quality paper for fledgling engineers to create their first business cards.

“The students would come running down as soon as the session was over and start making them,” said Betty Shanahan, former CEO of SWE.

His presence alone was powerful.

Tanya Griffin said she was the only Black woman majoring in chemical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when she graduated in 1987.

“Just seeing him at various minority engineering career fairs and events, it meant the world,” said Griffin, a human resources manager at Argonne National Laboratory. “Without motivators like that, I don’t know how I would have stayed in the discipline.”

Mr. McFall, 87, who’d been in failing health, died Aug. 26 at the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to his son Kevin.

During a 41-year career at Argonne – as a scientist and then as a recruiter – he encouraged other engineers to go back to school to get PhDs and helped them with homework when they struggled.

“There are countless women and minorities out there who are paying it forward because of Walter’s influence,” said Shanahan, an associate vice president at DePaul University.

“Thousands of students were influenced by his mentorship,” said Karen Horting, CEO and executive director of the Chicago-based Society of Women Engineers, which counts 41,000 members worldwide.

He had to go to work at age 7. That winter, milkmen had to halt their horse-drawn deliveries because of icy pavements. “The horses could break their legs,” said his sister Jacqueline Scott.

To get milk, his father Walter went out to the Harris grocery store at 59th and Prairie but was shot and killed en route in an attempted robbery.

The Harris family offered Walter, the oldest boy, a job to help his family. Every day but Sunday, he would separate the Canfields from the Coca-Colas, sorting pop bottles people returned to get a few cents of deposit back.

“He had a wagon, and he would deliver groceries,” his sister said. “On Saturday morning, he would get up early because two neighbors would have him come and clean their bathroom.”

“He was robbed of his childhood,” she said. “But he was a person who did his best wherever he was.”

Mr. McFall’s mother got a job at a company that made electrical equipment for the military. At the end of World War II, she and other women workers had to give up their positions to returning GIs.

Walter McFall with his first scientific role model, his mother Theresa Larcena McFall.Provided

His mother went on to work as a lab technician at the University of Chicago and later, Argonne National Laboratory. Her duties included cleaning glassware used in experiments.

Mr. McFall called her his science role model.

“I was watching Mom and the kind of people she was associating with, and I kept telling myself, ‘Gee, these are fun people. They do important things,’ ” he said in an oral history with SWE.

After graduating from Englewood High School in 1952, he attended Woodrow Wilson Junior College, now known as Kennedy-King. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and began working at Argonne. He became a research scientist there after earning a chemical engineering degree at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1971.

Chemical engineer Walter McFall.Argonne National Laboratory

Back then, during budget crunches, he’d hear grousing about women engineers from men who thought the women should get laid off first, he said in the SWE oral history.

“One young fellow came in and said, ‘I’ve got a wife and two children, and there’s this damn woman whose husband works downtown at the university as a professor, and she should be fired, and I should get her job,’ ” Mr. McFall recalled. “And I quietly asked him, ‘Why is that? Her program is not affected by the layoffs.’ He said, ‘Because she’s a woman, and I’m a man.’ … I’m saying, ‘Gee, and I thought as a young man of color I was affected by some discrimination.”’

In addition to SWE, Mr. McFall recruited from the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates.

He retired in 2001.

Walter McFall (right) started a running club at Argonne National Laboratory.Argonne National Laboratory

He enjoyed tennis and cross-country skiing. He helped found a running club at Argonne and ran in several Chicago marathons.

His daughter Kelli and brother Ronald died before him. In addition to his son Kevin and sister Jacqueline Scott, Mr. McFall is survived by his former wife Susan, sister Larcena Vaughn and a granddaughter. At his Sept. 11 memorial, one of the awards he was most proud of rested on his casket: SWE’s Rodney D. Chipp award for supporting women engineers.

Walter McFall in 2010 at the annual conference of the Society of Women Engineers.Society of Women Engineers

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Fifty years ago this year, the Bears marched into Soldier Field and dubbed it home. That first game — September 19, 1971 — the Bears beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-15.

It’s hard to say how much longer the team will remain on the Museum Campus, especially after they announced a bid to buy land for a possible new stadium in Arlington Heights. Until we know more, let’s celebrate the gold anniversary at Soldier Field with some of the team’s highlights. 

You can find more on the players involved in these great moments in 50 Best Chicago Bears of All Time. Click here to buy the book.

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A man was killed in a shooting Thursday in Austin on the West Side.

The 20-year-old was in an alley about 6:45 p.m. in the 600 block of North Central Avenue when someone opened fire, striking him in the neck, Chicago police said.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

An autopsy released Friday found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

No arrests have been reported.

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Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be sunny with a high near 87 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms and a low around 65. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 76.

Top story

Black Caucus Chairman Jason Ervin delivers early endorsement of Lightfoot reelection

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said it’s “not a gimme” that she will seek reelection. But, if she does run for a second term, she’ll have a powerful political ally in her corner.

Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus, said he expects Lightfoot to run again, and when and if she does declare her candidacy he’ll be among those standing beside her.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges in our city. But the intensity and directiveness that the mayor has had towards some of our most challenging communities is something we’ve seen no mayor do,” Ervin said today.

Earlier this week, Lightfoot helped Ervin leapfrog over Vice Chairman David Moore (17th) to become chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity. He replaced indicted Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), who resigned under pressure from Lightfoot.

But Ervin said that’s not the reason he’s returning the favor.

Instead, he pointed to the mayor’s war on poverty, her signature Invest South/West plan and Lightfoot’s efforts to plug what he called the “doughnut hole of the West Side” otherwise known as West Garfield Park.

Last year, Lightfoot famously threatened members of the Black Caucus who dared to vote against her 2021 budget, “Don’t ask me for s—t” when it comes to choosing projects for her five-year, $3.7 billion capital plan.

But Ervin said the mayor understandably flashed her hair-trigger temper in the heat of battle and it was only words. He has heard “no complaints” about Lightfoot doing anything to make good on that threat.

“If somebody is coming at you, this is a business where you don’t back down. … With certain individuals, it goes from zero to 100 real quick. … In the heat of a particular situation, a lot of things are said that truly are not meant,” Ervin said.

Read Fran Spielman’s full conversation with Alderman Ervin here.

More news you need

Ten people were shot over four hours in Chicago overnight, half of them in the downtown neighborhoods of Near North, Lincoln Park and South Loop. All three neighborhoods have seen more shootings than from this time last year.

The ground was broken yesterday for Casa Durango, a new affordable housing development in Pilsen — the neighborhood’s latest effort to fight gentrification. It’s the fifth development from the Resurrection Project, which was established in 1990 by Pilsen residents.

A city ordinance that goes into effect in January gives domestic workers the right to a written contract that covers such things as hours to be worked, wages and job responsibilities. Arise Chicago, a workers rights organization, plans to offer training sessions to inform workers of their new rights.

The Federal Trade Commission has been trying to get refunds for apartment-hunters who say they were duped into unwanted (and recurring) charges for credit monitoring, and a recent ruling by a federal judge in Chicago has resurrected hopes that may happen. The new ruling gives the FTC back some power after the Supreme Court ruled in the spring the agency was using powers it didn’t explicitly have.

Last night, rock band Guns N’ Roses took the stage at Wrigley Field for a three-hour set in front of thousands of adoring fans. In addition to playing the usual hit parade, the band covered The Stooges, Muddy Waters and more.
A new coffee shop called Southside Grinds opens tomorrow in Bronzeville’s Boxville Marketplace. The business was initially a mobile coffee bar popping up at events before owner Ebony Blue set up shop at 330 E. 51st St.

A bright one

‘Eyesore’ garage behind a fast-food joint in Beverly is now a haven of street art

Paul Branton, 48, began painting when he was 14, hoping to design album covers someday.

Phil Cotton, 71, grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., immersed in jazz and rock thanks to his bartender-father.

Won Kim, 41, started his graffiti career because he was obsessed with lettering.

Along with street artists Max Sansing and Ruben Aguirre, they worked to turn a garage behind a fast-food joint on the South Side, Nicky’s of Beverly, into an homage to blues music, hippies and street art.

The murals at Nicky’s of Beverly are a mesh of blues music, hippies and street art.Brian Rich/Sun-Times

For 23 years, owner Paul Kostopanagiotou has served up Chicago-style hotdogs, burgers and veggie versions at Nicky’s. When he moved from 103rd Street to 10500 S. Western Ave. in January, Kostopanagiotou wanted to improve the vibe, starting with the “eyesore of a garage” behind the new place.

He asked the Beverly Area Arts Alliance for someone who could paint the garage. Sal Campbell, co-founder of the group, got him five artists to do the job with style. When she sent the artists to the restaurant, Kostopanagiotou already had a theme in mind: the blues.

As soon as the artists got to work, people started showing up to watch. First, they’d slow down as they drove by. Then, they’d stop and ask about what was going on. Many ended up sticking around, watching and taking photos as the murals took form.

Cheyanne M. Daniels has more on how the murals came to fruition here.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line? What were you waiting for?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: What bar or restaurant do you think is Chicago’s best-kept secret? Why? Here’s what some of you said…

“Paterno’s. Everyone knows your name. The pizza is top-notch and the beefs are incredible.” — Tim O’Donnell

“Billy Goat Tavern, under Michigan Ave. Local watering hole for reporters, celebrities, and sports figures. Just don’t order a coke or french fries.” — Deborah Fuller Tobias

“Lalo’s because everyone loves tacos.” — Ricardo Del Angel

“Scofflaw. Should be talked about more. Love the drinks. Great place overall.” — Valentin Galvan

“Happy Lamb Hot Pot.” — Andrea NaTay

Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon retreated from its defense of a drone strike that killed multiple civilians in Afghanistan last month, announcing Friday that a review revealed that only civilians were killed in the attack, not an Islamic State extremist as first believed.

“The strike was a tragic mistake,” Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told a Pentagon news conference.

McKenzie apologized for the error and said the United States is considering making reparation payments to the family of the victims. He said the decision to strike a white Toyota Corolla sedan, after having tracked it for hours, was made in an “earnest belief” — based on a standard of “reasonable certainty” — that it posed an imminent threat to American forces who were securing the Kabul airport. The car was believed to have been carrying explosives in its trunk, he said.

For days after the Aug. 29 strike, Pentagon officials asserted that it had been conducted correctly, despite 10 civilians being killed, including seven children. News organizations later raised doubts about that version of events, reporting that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at an American humanitarian organization and citing an absence of evidence to support the Pentagon’s assertion that the vehicle contained explosives.

The airstrike was the last of a U.S. war that ended as it had begun in 2001 — with the Taliban in power in Kabul. The speed with which the Taliban overran the country took the U.S. government by surprise and forced it to send several thousand troops to the Kabul airport for a hurried evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others. The evacuation, which began Aug. 14, unfolded under a near-constant threat of attack by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate.

McKenzie, who oversaw U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, including a final evacuation of U.S. forces and more than 120,000 civilians from Kabul airport, expressed his condolences to the family and friends of those killed.

“I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that strike,” McKenzie said. “Moreover, we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K or were a direct threat to U.S. forces,” he added, referring to the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a written statement, apologized for what he called “a horrible mistake.”

“We now know that there was no connection” between the driver of the vehicle and the Islamic State group, and that the driver’s activities that day were “completely harmless and not at all related to the imminent threat we believed we faced,” Austin said.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters two days after the attack that it appeared to have been a “righteous” strike and that at least one of the people killed was a “facilitator” for the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate, which had killed 169 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members in a suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at the Kabul airport.

After McKenzie’s remarks on Friday, Milley expressed regret.

“This is a horrible tragedy of war and it’s heart wrenching,” Milley told reporters traveling with him in Europe. “We are committed to being fully transparent about this incident.”

“In a dynamic high-threat environment, the commanders on the ground had appropriate authority and had reasonable certainty that the target was valid, but after deeper post-strike analysis our conclusion is that innocent civilians were killed,” Milley added.

Accounts from the family of the victims, documents from colleagues seen by The Associated Press, and the scene at the family home — where Zemerai Ahmadi’s car was struck by a Hellfire missile just as he pulled into the driveway — all painted a picture of a family that had worked for Americans and were trying to gain visas to the United States, fearing for their lives under the Taliban.

The family said that when the 37-year-old Zemerai, alone in his car, pulled up to the house, he honked his horn. His 11-year-old son ran out and Zemerai let the boy get in and drive the car into the driveway. The other kids ran out to watch, and the Hellfire missile incinerated the car, killing seven children and an adult son and nephew of Zemerai.

Amnesty International, the humanitarian aid group, called the U.S. military’s admission of a mistake a good first step.

“The U.S. must now commit to a full, transparent, and impartial investigation into this incident,” said Brian Castner, a senior crisis adviser with Amnesty International. “Anyone suspected of criminal responsibility should be prosecuted in a fair trial. Survivors and families of the victims should be kept informed of the progress of the investigation and be given full reparation.”

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