Brawl leads to stabbing outside Lincoln Park day care center

CHICAGO (WLS) -- One young man was stabbed and another was beaten in a brawl outside a day care center in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Emergency crews responded to the scene in the 2100-block of N. Halsted Thursday afternoon. Witnesses said a fight broke out between two males in popular Oz Park, and then others got involved. Police recovered a knife from the scene.

"I saw these ambulances, police cars and I saw a guy get pulled away in a stretcher and his face was completely bandaged," said Art Schlak, a witness.

Teachers at St Vincent De Paul Center saw the melee from their windows and called police. School officials say they didn't go on lockdown, but students and staff were kept in the building.

One mother picking up her child from the day care said she was shocked that the incident happened so close to a school.

"Now what if somebody would have had their kids and seeing this? That don't make no sense at all, no," Alexis Shannon said. "They need to find out who did that."

On Thursday night, DePaul University students celebrating St. Patrick's Day were also surprised and concerned.

"I would never imagine something like that happening in Lincoln Park. We have never gotten updates about something that extreme, more mild cases. So very shocking," said Jacquie Siegler, a DePaul student.

"It's generally like a really peaceful neighborhood, there are a lot of young families here. I've never really like heard of any kind of violence," said Zara Siddiqui, another DePaul student.

The victims were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital, where their conditions are being stabilized.

Chicago police continue to investigate.