A Chicago man said he was attacked in broad daylight Wednesday on his way to lunch, and he told NBC Chicago what happened.
“He wasn’t even looking when he hit me, so I didn’t expect that to happen,” Brandon Nguyen said. “I was so shocked, I got the wind knocked out of me.”
Nguyen described what he called an unprovoked attack as he and a coworker were walking to lunch along Wacker Drive near Wabash.
“He just sucker punched me out of nowhere in the back of my head,” Nguyen said, showing the bump he could feel under his hair.
No words were exchanged during the encounter that occurred in broad daylight along a busy downtown street. Passersby stopped to help and called 911, Nguyen said, but he and his friend did not stick around.
This alleged attack is not the first report of unprovoked violence directed at innocent people downtown.
In October of 2025, a 43-year-old woman was punched on the back of the head near North Rush Street.
In February of 2026, a 27-year-old woman was struck in the back of the head near Washington and Clark.
And in March, a 36-year-old man was arrested after allegedly attacking three women.
Nguyen said he is coming forward now because he has seen other reports about violent attacks in the Loop and wants to send a warning out to other people to make sure they are prepared.
“I just want people to know that they are safe and to really watch out,” he said. “This happened in broad daylight. … What happens in the evenings when its getting dark?”
Nguyen said he still suffers from a minor headache one day later. He said he was given the all-clear by an urgent care center and did not have to go to the emergency room.
He has not yet filed a police report about the incident but said he planned to do so Thursday afternoon.
