Nearly 70 People Shot, Five Of Them Fatally, Over Independence Day Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Even with an additional 1,500 officers on the streets, Chicago still saw significant violence over the long holiday weekend, with at least 68 people shot, five of them fatally, since July 4th.
The most violent day of the weekend was Friday, when 17 people were wounded and three were killed in shootings across the city. There were 16 shootings to start the weekend on Thursday, two of them fatal.
Saturday saw 15 total shootings, and Sunday saw 17.
The most recent deadly shooting was at about 7 p.m. on Friday, when two men were shot while standing on the sidewalk near Laramie and Fulton. Police said two gunman walked up and shot them before fleeing in a gray sedan.
A 40-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and a 65-year-old man was taken to Stroger in critical condition.
Around 3 a.m. Friday in the Fuller Park neighborhood, a gunman approached a 22-year-old woman near 42nd and Wells, and shot her once in the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
About 15 minutes earlier, a 37-year-old man was killed and a 32-year-old woman was wounded, when they were shot after getting into a fight with a group of people near Lavergne and Augusta in the Austin neighborhood.
The man was shot in the chest, and was taken to West Suburban Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The woman was shot twice in the arm, and went to Stroger Hospital, where she was stabilized.
There were two other fatal shootings on July 4th.
In Humboldt Park, a 32-year-old man was killed when he was shot while standing near the intersection of Homan and Iowa around 11:30 a.m. A 31-year-old man, a 23-year-old man, and a 17-year-old boy also were wounded in the shooting.
Around 1:30 a.m. in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, a 35-year-old woman was drinking with a man inside a home near Wilcox and Kildare, when one of them pulled out a gun. The woman was shot in the head during a struggle over the weapon, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 11th District on the West Side had more shootings than any other police district, with six shooting incidents over the weekend.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been vocal about her focus on curbing violence in the city. This weekend, photos from the Chicago Police Department show her attending a midnight roll call.
This evening, @ChicagosMayor attended the 1st watch midnights roll call in @ChicagoCAPS07. Mayor Lightfoot addressed Officers and went out for a ride-along to see first hand how 7th District Officers and the residents of Englewood interact. pic.twitter.com/yWQG0h6JrO
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) July 6, 2019
She was later out on the beat with 7th District officers who patrol the Englewood community, an area considered a hot spot for violent crime.
Last week, Police Supt. Eddie Johnson addressed what police were doing differently this holiday weekend.
"One of the things that we're going to do a bit differently, we have a lot more undercover officers out here this time than we did, and so they'll be serving the purpose of our eyes and ears along with the communities," he said.
The city's Navy Pier fireworks show was marred by violence, as three people were stabbed during a gang-related fight. At least 13 others were injured in a stampede after someone set off a firecracker at Harry Caray's at Navy Pier.