Chicago a Warzone Over Memorial Day Weekend; 53 Shot, 11 Killed, Cops Say; One Man Was Shot In The Face

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According to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the reported shootings and murders took place over a period of time starting at approximately 6 p.m. Friday and ending at about 11:59 p.m. Sunday. File photo credit: Scott Cornell / Shutterstock.com, licensed.
Police say the victims ranged in age from 2 to 77 years old; nearly every part of the city was plagued by gun violence over the course of the holiday weekend. File photo: Scott Cornell, Shutter Stock, licensed.

CHICAGO, IL – Over the course of Memorial Day weekend, Chicago was a veritable warzone as a wave of violence consumed the crime-ridden city, with police reporting that at least 53 people were shot, with 11 of that number succumbing to their injuries and dying. 

Police say the victims ranged in age from 2 to 77 years old; nearly every part of the city was plagued by gun violence over the course of the holiday weekend despite the city’s new mayor, Brandon Johnson, recently revealing a new “collaborative public safety effort” that he intends to roll out this summer. 

One man was shot in the face in a South Chicago home; in Back of the Yards, another man was critically wounded after being shot in the back; three others were victims of a drive-by shooting while standing on the sidewalk in the 9100-block of South Harper Avenue; and a 2-year-old boy was shot in the hand by a stray bullet while playing in his bedroom. 

Mayor Johnson attended numerous neighborhood gatherings over the course of the weekend in order to support his planned “holistic” approach to public safety this summer. The program involves providing funding to support community groups, but he has also noted the gravity of the situation by stating that his administration “has a lot of work to do” to combat the violence and crime that has held Chicago in its grip for many years now. 

“The violence our city experienced this weekend is intolerable. It produced pain and trauma that devastated communities across Chicago, and my heart breaks for everyone affected. That’s why as mayor, I am committed to leveraging every single resource at our disposal to protect every single life in our city,” he said in a statement. “This holiday weekend, thousands of police officers, first responders, city workers, business leaders, organizers, faith leaders, and violence interrupters tirelessly dedicated themselves to keeping Chicago safe. I offer my deep gratitude to all those involved. We have much more work to do, but the work performed by these individuals this weekend is the foundation for how we will ultimately secure safety together.” 

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