A startling video making waves online shows a bold teenager stealing a donation box brimming with cash from a veteran street performer in Chicago, all in broad daylight at a bustling intersection.
Singer Andrew David was performing Ed Sheeran’s popular song “Perfect” outside the One North State building in Chicago’s business district on Monday afternoon when the young thief approached his setup.
Dressed in a gray hoodie and a black face mask, the teenager waited for the opportune moment to snatch the tip box, overflowing with contributions from passersby, before sprinting away down the street.
David shared the video with the caption, “Apparently it’s one of those days,” and it has since garnered nearly 3 million views on Instagram.
Having spent about a decade performing on the streets, David explained to Fox 32 that this was not his first encounter with theft while working.
He admitted that losing the donation box itself was more painful than the approximately $100 in cash it contained from that day’s earnings.
“Right after he picked up the box… I grabbed my microphone and said, ‘Could you at least bring the box back?’” he said. “I wasn’t gonna chase down a kid.”
A good Samaritan returned the box shortly after the funds were stolen.
David later rewatched the video of the moments before he was robbed, discovering that the teen had been lurking around the area for about 10 minutes before making his move.
“They had kind of already walked by when they got out of school and made some comments, but nothing happened then,” he told CBS Chicago.
David posted the footage online, where it quickly spread across social media and led officials at a nearby high school to identify the teenager.
The school’s principal reached out to David to make amends, then met with him the next morning to return the money.
“She gave me a tour of the school and highlighted all the resources that the kids have,” David said.
The teen’s mother also reached out to personally apologize, making clear the theft was “not the type of behavior she expects from her son.”
David said he has no plans to seek criminal charges against the teen, but hopes the experience serves as a meaningful lesson.
“I just hope that all this attention and, like, social media, like, can just make it a learning experience for him,” David said.
