More than 60 people were shot, 11 of them fatally, over the holiday weekend in Chicago. Seven people were killed on Christmas Day alone, making that more than the three pervious years combined.
This weekend’s shootings put the total number of people shot in the city of Chicago at more than 4,300 for the year. Last year, significantly fewer people were shot in the windy city. The Chicago Tribune reported that there were a total of 2,989 shooting victims with 492 homicides.
Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that most of the shootings over this Christmas weekend were gang-related.
Two young girls, ages 13 and 14, were shot while sitting in a van at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Monday. The father of the 13 year-old girl was in a house speaking to someone while the two girls were sitting in the vehicle. Two individuals reportedly drove up to vehicle with the children and fired two shots. The 14 year-old was hit in the back and was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition while the 13 year-old was hit in the arm and was taken to St. Bernard Hospital in stable condition.
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that the father was a gang member and may have been the intended target.
Guglielmi said that the majority of shootings and homicides from Friday afternoon through Monday morning were “targeted attacks by gangs against potential rivals who were at holiday gatherings.”
Since Friday afternoon, 45 guns were seized.
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