Chicago violence: 8 killed, 60 wounded over Thanksgiving weekend
CHICAGO — At least 68 people were shot, eight fatally, in violence throughout Chicago during the Thanksgiving weekend, reports CBS Chicago. In addition, three people were fatally shot by police.
The number of wounded is up significantly from the same extended weekend last year — running from Wednesday evening through early Monday morning — when 20 were wounded and eight were killed. The city is seeing a surge this year in gun violence.
The weekend’s most recent homicide happened at 2:03 p.m. Sunday, when Delvon Weston, 18, was sitting in a parked vehicle in the Gresham neighborhood as someone fired shots from a dark-colored SUV, according to police. The SUV, described as being dark in color, was driven away from the scene. Weston, who suffered several shots to the chest, brought himself to a hospital where he died.
About 10 minutes earlier, a 37-year-old man was shot dead in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. The victim, Rickey King, was with a group when someone across the street opened fire. King was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene at 2:01 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The assailant fled on foot, according to police.
At 2:38 a.m. Sunday in the Homan Square neighborhood, two men were seated in a parked vehicle when a silver car stopped in front of them and two males wearing hooded sweatshirts exited the car and opened fire, police said. Erik Peoples, 30, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and body and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The other man, 31, was shot in the right arm and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.
A 56-year-old man was gunned down at 3:38 p.m. Saturday in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Witnesses told police they saw two men get into a fight and then heard a gunshot. The man was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His name has not been released.
About 2:15 a.m. Saturday, two gunmen opened fire outside a house party in the South Chicago neighborhood, authorities said. A 20-year-old man was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner’s office has not released his name. Five others shot in the incident were taken to area hospitals and their conditions have since stabilized, police said.
Friday evening, 16-year-old Diego Alvarado was shot in the back, groin and arm while in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, police said. It is not clear what prompted the shooting.
Around 2 p.m. Friday, two people robbed 24-year-old Thomas Smith and then shot him in the abdomen, authorities said. Smith died two hours later.
About 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Chicago police officers in the West Garfield Park neighborhood fatally shot a man suspected of shooting a 24-year-old pregnant woman in the abdomen during a domestic incident, police said. She was taken to a hospital in serious condition. The suspect ran from the scene, but later fired shots at officers on two separate occasions, police said, and was eventually gunned down. The medical examiner’s office has not released his name.
Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Friday, officers on patrol near in Homan Square heard gunfire and allegedly saw 37-year-old Cleotha Mitchell fatally shoot 35-year-old Jeffery Banks, authorities said. The officers shot Mitchell who has also allegedly shot a second person in the arm. That person’s condition was stabilized at a hospital. Mitchell and Banks were pronounced dead at the scene.
The city’s Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the officers’ use of force in both the West Garfield Park and Homan Square shootings, as well as that of a CPD sergeant who fatally shot 19-year-old Kajuan Raye in the back shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday in the West Englewood neighborhood. The sergeant said he saw Raye point a gun at him twice during a foot chase, authorities said.
Investigators have not found the weapon the sergeant claimed he saw and Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson on Saturday said he’s relieving the sergeant of his police powers.