6 hurt in Cook County Jail knife fight

A knife fight between rival gangs broke out late Saturday in a maximum security wing of the Cook County Jail, sending six inmates to area hospitals, authorities said.

The melee took place about 7 p.m. in the dayroom of one of the jail's three maximum security cell blocks, said Bill Cunningham, a Cook County Sheriff's spokesman.

The inmates suffered various stab and slash wounds, and were taken to Stroger and Mount Sinai hospitals for treatment.

One inmate knifed in the upper torso was in critical condition, Cunningham said.

The other five were seriously injured but had non-life threatening injures, he said.

Nineteen inmates, including members of rival factions, were in the dayroom when the fight started, but it was unclear how many took part.

The cause of the fight and whether charges will be filed are under investigation, Cunningham said.