Memorial Day Gun Violence_ (Courtesy:Google)
CHICAGO, Illinois– Over the Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, a wave of violence resulted in eight fatalities and at least 33 individuals injured in separate shootings from Friday evening to early Saturday.
The violent incidents occurred across different areas of the city. Notably, a homicide took place within close proximity to the West Side home of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
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Additionally, there was an incident of gunfire during a fight at North Avenue Beach, although no injuries were reported.
These incidents marred the beginning of the holiday weekend and highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in Chicago.
The Memorial Day weekend, which symbolizes the start of summer, has unfortunately been associated with an increase in gun violence in Chicago, particularly in the South and West sides of the city.
In response to this trend, additional police officers were deployed, and the controversial practice of canceling officers’ days off was implemented to enhance staffing levels during weekends known for violence.
Alongside law enforcement efforts, numerous “peacekeepers” were deployed to targeted areas in an attempt to prevent and address violence.
Furthermore, a significant demonstration against violence took place in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, where hundreds of individuals marched to express their opposition to the ongoing cycle of violence in the city.
These initiatives aimed to address and mitigate the impact of gun violence during the holiday weekend.
The weekend’s first homicides happened within a few hours of each other.
Just before 3 a.m., a 37-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man were standing on a sidewalk in the 2300 block of West 18th Street in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood when someone opened fire, striking them both in the face, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
They were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where the man died and the woman was listed in critical condition.
About 20 minutes later, Johnathan Salgado, 22 was standing on the sidewalk in the 2400 block of South Homan Avenue in Little Village when he was shot in the chest, according to police.
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he later died, police said.
About 2:15 a.m. in Lake View, a 35-year-old man was found on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the chest in the 500 block of West Surf Street. He died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Shortly before 1 a.m., another man, 33, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the armpit in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood’s 7800 block of South Seeley Avenue.
Hours later, three men were wounded in an Auburn Gresham drive-by shooting in the same South Side neighborhood.
A man was shot to death Saturday morning in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. It happened about 11:15 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Ridgeway Avenue, according to police.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Chicago experienced a series of violent incidents, including shootings and a homicide.
The mayor’s neighborhood was also affected by a homicide investigation, where a female victim was found deceased.
In Woodlawn, a 26-year-old man was fatally shot in the back, and in West Garfield Park, two individuals sitting in a car were shot, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old man.
Additionally, an off-duty Michigan police officer accidentally discharged a firearm at a hotel, injuring himself and another person.
Overall, more than 20 individuals were wounded in nonfatal shootings across the city during the weekend.
It is important to note that last year’s Memorial Day weekend saw a high number of shootings, with 51 reported incidents, including 9 fatalities and 42 injuries.
The city of Chicago has been grappling with gun violence, particularly in certain neighborhoods, and law enforcement and community initiatives continue to address and combat this issue.
