Seven people were fatally shot, and more than 30 wounded in another violent weekend in Chicago.
By Sunday evening, 31 people were shot and six were killed, NBC 5 reported. More violent overnight increased those numbers to 36 shot and seven killed by Monday morning.
In the last incident to occur late Sunday afternoon, a 30-year-old man was discovered after being stabbed to death inside an apartment on the 3100 block of West Walton. According to police, the man was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining a stab wound in the chest.
One of the weekend’s fatalities included a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the chest Friday night. Another 15-year-old at the scene was shot in the leg.
According to NBC 5, the second 15-year-old was “very uncooperative” and refused to provide police with any details regarding the incident.
The weekend’s deadly violence is not uncommon in the Windy City. According to the Chicago Tribune, 3,405 people have been shot in Chicago this year — almost three times more than the 1,146 shootings that took place during the same period in the city in 2019.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has repeatedly expressed her goal to make Chicago the safest big city in the country. As a former chair of the Chicago Police Board, Lightfoot has taken a hands-on approach with the city’s police, even holding weekly accountability sessions with police leaders.
Last month, Lightfoot also promoted her dedication to alternate approaches when it comes to stopping violence, the Chicago Tribune reported. She released a 103-page “Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Violence in Chicago” that included using anti-violence groups and expanding “investments in violence prevention services.”
Despite Lightfoot’s efforts, Chicago continues to see a staggering increase in violence throughout the city this year. Protests and riots, sparked by the death of George Floyd who died while in custody of the Minneapolis police department, have wreaked havoc on the already-violent city.
In the midst of destructive protests that frequently turned to violent riots, Lightfoot banned all demonstrations on the block where she lives in Chicago, The Chicago Tribune reported. After facing backlash, Lightfoot defended the ban, saying that she and her family needed increased security because of threats she receives daily.
“I think that residents of this city, understanding the nature of the threats that we are receiving on a daily basis, on a daily basis, understand I have a right to make sure that my home is secure,” Lightfoot said.
