Alderman wants city to get serious about gangs after latest round of gun violence
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In some parts of Chicago, people didn't hear fireworks on Independence Day, they heard gunfire.
The July 4th holiday proved to be dangerous in Chicago, with at least 57 people shot over the long weekend. One alderman said it's time for Chicago to stop acting like gangs are not connected to all this violence.
The gun violence included a mass shooting in West Englewood, which left one person dead and five others wounded. Police sources tell CBS 2 that 187 rounds were found on the ground near 56th and Ada early Wednesday. Sources believe at least 200 shots were fired.
"It was supposed to be a 4th of July celebration, but it turned into chaos," witness Samantha Hudson said.
When the gunfire ended, five were shot – one fatally – and a sixth person was severely beaten, and left in critical condition.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) said the violence is centering one commonality.
"These are very specific gang-initiated attacks on residents in the 15th Ward and surrounding communities," he said.
Lopez said, since Sunday, including near 48th and Hoyne, gang members have approached and shot people, including migrants.
"Our new migrants are under assault, because they're not familiar with what gang life means. They don't know how to respond, and yet they're still being preyed upon by these gang members," he said.
Lopez said five people in the Back of the Yards neighborhood were shot at, one killed, in what he calls gang initiation shootings. He described what one man experienced when car full of people pulled up.
"Started shouting at him in English about his gang affiliation, and when the young man, who has very limited English capabilities, said 'no hablo Inglés,' their immediate response was to shoot at him," Lopez said.
That man was shot in leg.
Since midnight Tuesday, at least 15 people have been shot in the city, 3 of them fatally.
Interim Police Supt. Fred Waller said the department needs to do a better job of dispersing large gatherings, but noted shootings were down this July 4th weekend compared to last year.
"So I still think that we did a great job overall. You can't say that to the people who lost their lives that we did a great job, but the effort was there," he said.
Waller said police are looking into whether shots were fired from both sides at that scene in Englewood. No one was in custody Wednesday night.
