By Evelyn Holmes (title via @Fishing_Huuker)
Chicago shootings over the holiday weekend have left more than 75 shot, 14 fatally, police said.
Interim CPD Supt. Fred Waller held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, saying there was progress this holiday weekend. Still, he admitted more needs to be done.
“We saw some success, this weekend, in some of our high trafficked areas like the lakefront and beaches, but there’s more work to be done as we make progress in our city’s most vulnerable communities,” Waller said. “I’m never going to say that we can’t use more manpower, more resources. We’re really working officers to a nub.”
Waller joined others at the Bright Star Community center at Woodson Middle School, where a new trauma helpline was unveiled.
“On this helpline, anyone from across the city can call 833-TURN-123, and get help if they’ve experienced trauma or violence,” said Nichole Carter with Bright Star Community Outreach. “Here in this space, we will have collaborative partners that are going to help to bring healing to the community.”
It is a small effort helping to address and potentially deter the bigger issue of crime in Chicago.
“There’s power in each of our communities, and we know there can be peace, also,” Waller said.
The superintendent also touted the number of guns taken off the streets over the holiday weekend, which, police said was more than 180 guns.
Still, dozens of people were shot over the weekend. The latest shootings attacked groups of teenagers.
Gunfire erupted in West Garfield Park as three teens were standing on a front porch in the 3800-block of West Gladys Avenue when someone in a dark-colored car opened fire, police said.
A 17-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the right eye. A 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg and buttocks, and a 19-year-old man was shot in the arm and both were transported to hospitals in good condition. One of the girls later died.
“We don’t know exactly the motive. We have to look into the background of the other people who were there. I’m sure the young lady was probably not the target,” Waller said.
Just a few hours earlier and less than 2 miles away, police said a 14-year-old boy walking down the block in the 100 block of North Francisco Avenue when an unknown gunman opened fire on him. He was struck in the right arm and right leg and transported to a hospital in fair condition.
On the South Side, 32-year old father of four Brian Ross, was gunned down along with another man during a large Father’s Day gathering at Smith Park in the Roseland community.
Relatives said he was not the intended target.
“They literally stopped where they were at, open fired on them, didn’t care about the kids being around or nothing. And, by the grace of God, no kids get hit,” Kandace Ross, the victim’s husband, said. “They didn’t care about nothing or nobody because there were kids out there. There were women out there, there were grandmas, anybody. They just came and just shot it up just so they can, I don’t know, brag about it.”
Police are looking into if social media played a role in the attack.
The violence happened on almost every side of town, including the Bucktown neighborhood
This is Democrat America. Poverty is rampant and criminals do not fear arrest or prosecution. The criminals are the victims and the victims had it coming.
If Africans (as a group) wanted to live like civilized societies, they would have done it in Africa by now.
Point at big cities, like Johannesburg?
What was built by whites, taken over by blacks, vs what blacks built themselves:
Chicago is just the American example.