MSNBC skips coverage of Chicago riots during prime time, CNN airs less than 3 minutes

close

Video

Chicago looting eyewitness says nearly 1,000 people ransacked designer stores, 'it was nuts'

Chicago resident Frank Calabrese's viral video from his apartment shows scores of looters sowing mayhem on high-end Magnificent Mile. Calabrese says some brought U-Hauls to cart away stolen merchandise; 'it was nuts.'

Mass destruction took place in the heart of Chicago in the early hours on Monday morning as looters raided the shopping district and other stores across the city, but MSNBC and CNN offered little to no coverage of the unrest during their network's most-watched shows.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said as of Monday morning responding units had arrested more than 100 people on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to battery against police. He added that 13 officers were hurt in the unrest, including a sergeant struck in the face with a bottle and an officer who had his nose broken while scuffling with a group of looters.

“This was not an organized protest. Rather, this was an incident of pure criminality," Brown told reporters. "This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city.”

The carnage resulted in more than $60 million in property damage. However, the cost was apparently not enough to earn much coverage on the liberal networks during prime time.

JESSE JACKSON CONDEMNS 'PILLAGING' IN CHICAGO AS 'HUMILIATING, EMBARASSING'

MSNBC completely avoided the mass looting in Chicago. CNN was nearly as devoid of coverage with anchor Anderson Cooper dedicating roughly two minutes and 36 seconds to the subject despite having two full hours on Monday night. His colleague Don Lemon didn't report on the violence until 40 minutes into his second hour, which airs at 11 pm.

The prime-time lineups on MSNBC and CNN have a history of skipping or downplaying major news. Last month, both networks ignored the breaking news of the mass shooting that took place outside of a Chicago funeral home that resulted in 15 injured. Fox News' Tucker Carlson noted Monday how little coverage the mainstream media devoted to a mass shooting in Washington, D.C.

MSNBC's most-watched programs, including "The Rachel Maddow Show" also avoided Joe Biden's recent round of gaffes and the recently released Jeffrey Epstein docs that implicated former President Bill Clinton.

Video

BIDEN'S GAFFES IGNORED BY MSNBC'S PRIMETIME SHOWS FOR 3 STRAIGHT NIGHTS

The unrest in Chicago began Sunday afternoon after police responded to a report of a man with a gun in the city’s Englewood neighborhood. While being pursued by police, the man, who was on foot, “turned and fired shots” at officers before being struck himself and taken to a local hospital, Deputy Chief Delonda Tally told Fox 32 Chicago.

A crowd that had gathered at the scene then faced off against police and started hurling objects at officers after getting agitated over a false rumor that the suspect – who is 20 years old – was a child, investigators add. Brown, the police superintendent, said the suspect had been previously arrested four times for charges including burglary, child endangerment and domestic battery.

“We do have an officer that was maced by someone in the crowd,” Tally told Fox 32 Chicago. “We do have an officer that sustained a shoulder injury from the incident with the crowd. One of our vehicles, the windows were shattered by a brick.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

As of Monday morning, police said the suspect is expected to survive, while Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability has launched an investigation into the shooting. Three officers involved in the shooting were also taken to a local hospital for observation, Fox 32 reported.

Fox News' Greg Norman and Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report.