Across the country, Christmas tree lightings are supposed to mark the start of the holiday season.
This weekend, two of those community celebrations instead became scenes of bloodshed and panic.
On Fox & Friends Weekend, co-hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy, Charles Hurt, and Griff Jenkins reacted to reports that a Christmas tree lighting in Chicago ended in a riot, a killing, and multiple shootings.
In North Carolina, as Josh Breslow reported for LiveNOW from FOX and Will Lewis reported for Queen City News, four people were shot during the Concord tree lighting, with several in critical condition and suspects now facing serious charges.
Taken together, the two incidents paint a grim picture: even family-friendly holiday events are no longer guaranteed safe spaces.
Chicago Celebration Turns Into Deadly Riot
On Fox & Friends Weekend, Rachel Campos-Duffy opened the segment by saying that while many Americans are in the Thanksgiving and Christmas spirit, “what should have been a peaceful tree lighting ceremony turned deadly in Chicago.”
She reported that a 14-year-old boy was tragically killed and eight other teenagers were shot after the city’s Christmas tree lighting, as a 300-plus person riot erupted.
Campos-Duffy said multiple police officers were also attacked during the chaos.
She tied the violence to a broader pattern, noting that it came just days after what she called another shocking crime: a career felon accused of setting a woman on fire on a Chicago train, an incident she said the mayor had brushed off as “isolated.”
Campos-Duffy’s framing is emotional and blunt.
Her point is that residents are being told these are one-off incidents, but from the ground, it feels like part of a steady collapse of public safety.
Trump, The Mayor, And The Question Of Control
Charles Hurt picked up the conversation by focusing on former President Donald Trump’s response.
According to Hurt, Trump says that “Chicagoans are actually chanting for him to come back, bring in Trump,” in response to the violence.
Hurt argued that it’s “remarkable” to see a Republican president weigh in so directly on crime in a deep-blue city like Chicago, and he praised Trump for what he called a “normal person’s perspective” – being horrified that a tree lighting could end with eight teens shot and one dead.
Hurt said flatly, “You cannot live in a country like this,” calling the situation “totally unacceptable” in what is supposed to be the leading nation of the free world.
He acknowledged that many people are uncomfortable with the idea of sending in the National Guard to American cities, but said incidents like this are why some citizens are now open to that option.
Campos-Duffy added that Fox & Friends Weekend has hosted Chicago mothers who have lost children to violence and who have publicly said, “Yeah, please, do come,” when asked about federal help.
She contrasted those pleas with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s opposition to Trump’s offers of assistance, asking what the citizens want after events like this.
Griff Jenkins said there is “a little bit of denial” from Mayor Johnson, noting that just one day before the Christmas shootings, the mayor had described a separate brutal crime as an “isolated incident.”
In a clip played on the show, Johnson said, “I don’t see this as some sort of trend,” adding that he trusted “the federal level” to do its part.
The Fox & Friends Weekend hosts clearly don’t buy the “isolated” language. Their reaction shows how holiday violence quickly becomes a symbol in the larger debate over policing, federal involvement, and local leadership.
Concord, North Carolina: A Cherished Event Shattered
While Chicago’s story drew national political response, a quieter but equally chilling scene unfolded in Concord, North Carolina.
On LiveNOW from FOX, anchor Josh Breslow reported that four people were shot Friday night at the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Breslow said three of the victims were in critical condition and one in stable condition after the shooting, which took place about 19 miles northeast of Charlotte.
He told viewers that officials still were not sure what led up to the gunfire. Police were reviewing video footage, talking to witnesses, and asking anyone with pictures or recordings to share them.
Breslow explained that the downtown event was advertised as the city’s 28th Annual Tree Lighting.
It was supposed to feature Santa and Mrs. Claus, food trucks, a showing of The Grinch, and fireworks – exactly the kind of small-town evening parents hope will become a happy memory for their kids.
Instead, as videos posted online showed, crowds ended up running for their lives, with streets lined by emergency vehicles.
Representative Mark Harris of North Carolina issued a statement, Breslow noted, saying, “We are praying for the safety of our brave law enforcement officers, first responders and everyone on the scene.”
That comment underscored how quickly a festive gathering had turned into a community crisis.
Police And Witnesses Describe The Panic
Breslow also played a short statement from Major Patrick Tierney of the Concord Police Department, who spoke as the situation was still developing.
Tierney called the tree lighting “one of our most cherished and celebrated events in downtown Concord” and said that sense of safety “was shattered tonight by senseless gunfire.”
He said the shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. on Union Street near Corbin Avenue, right in the middle of the city’s official celebration.
Tierney explained that Concord police, fire, and county EMS were already at the event and responded immediately, treating the wounded and evacuating attendees.
He confirmed that four gunshot victims were taken to the hospital, three in critical condition and one in stable condition.
Tierney said investigators were reviewing footage and speaking with multiple witnesses, again asking anyone with videos or photos to send them in.
On Queen City News, reporter Will Lewis followed up with more details from Concord.
Lewis reported that police now believe the shooting was between two suspects who knew each other, not a random attack.
He said one suspect, 18-year-old Nasir Bostic of Concord, is both a shooter and one of the people in critical condition. Bostic faces a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon.
A second suspect is under 18, so police have not released that name.
According to Lewis, a third suspect, 17-year-old Keyvyonn Bostic, is being charged as an adult for inciting a riot and accessory after the fact.
Lewis said two other 17-year-old gunshot victims were also transported to the hospital, one in critical condition, further highlighting how young many of those involved and injured are.
Witnesses Adrienne Outen and Wesley Goodnight described the moment everything changed.
Outen said she heard “three pops” and at first thought fireworks would not start until later. Then she saw a “sea of people running” and knew something was wrong.
Goodnight told Queen City News that this “has never happened before” and said it was “unfortunate because there were so many kids right there.”
He recalled hearing the pops, then seeing “a kid laying in the street, bloody.” He said he wasn’t worried about himself – he was worried about the children who had to see that.
Lewis also shared a statement from Concord Police Chief Jimmy Hughes, who said, “A night of celebration for our community was interrupted by senseless violence affecting everyone who was there.”
Hughes praised the community’s “strength and resilience” as people helped one another and supported officers, but he emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and again asked for photos, videos, and tips.
When Holiday Traditions No Longer Feel Safe
Across all three broadcasts – Fox & Friends Weekend, LiveNOW from FOX, and Queen City News – a similar theme keeps surfacing.
These were not late-night bar shootings or gang corners. They were Christmas tree lightings, the kind of events cities use to bring families together and show that public spaces still belong to everyone.
Rachel Campos-Duffy warned on Fox that violence like the Chicago riot “kills community,” asking, “Who’s going to come out next year? No one.” Her point is that once people connect a holiday event with danger, it is hard to restore trust.
In Concord, Major Patrick Tierney and Chief Jimmy Hughes both spoke about how cherished the tree lighting is and how deeply the “senseless gunfire” cut into that shared sense of safety.
What stands out in all of these reports is how quickly joy turns to fear. One moment, people are waiting for Santa, or watching a mayor flip the switch on the city lights. The next, they’re ducking, grabbing their kids, and running.
It’s also striking how many of the victims and suspects are teenagers. In both Chicago and Concord, young people are either losing their lives, being gravely wounded, or being charged with serious crimes at events designed to be wholesome and calm.
All three sources – Fox’s weekend show, Josh Breslow’s live coverage, and Will Lewis’s follow-up reporting – capture different angles of the same unsettling reality.
Communities are trying to cling to their traditions, but violence keeps pushing in, even under the glow of Christmas lights.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
