The city of Chicago suffered a bloody Memorial Day weekend following a number of shootings across the city. The wave of violence left 11 dead and 45 wounded.
The weekend of violence followed a violence safety plan announced by new Mayor Brandon Johnson (D).
The mayor said that his “administration’s top priority is making sure there is a comprehensive whole-of-government strategy across our city that is keeping everyone safe.”
Johnson announced an expansion of free activities for youth and $3.5 million in grants for community youth organizations.
Following the shootings, Johnson said in a statement that he is “committed to leveraging every single resource at our disposal to protect every single life in our city.”
Johnson also said that “thousands of Chicagoans and visitors enjoyed themselves safely at beaches, festivals and neighborhood events across the city.”
The shootings had a disproportionate effect on young people, including two two-year-olds who accidentally shot themselves upon finding firearms. Furthermore, a 14-year-old, 15-year-old and 17-year-old were all shot over the weekend, but are expected to recover.
Furthermore, other shootings included bystanders on a sidewalk and a man and woman shot while sitting in a parked car. The man was killed in the attack and the woman is in critical condition. There have been no arrests related to the shooting.
The recent wave of violence exceeded the 10 killed and 36 wounded in shootings last Memorial Day weekend.
The increase in violence comes during a significant increase in crime in the Windy City. Chicago suffered an increase in crimes of all types by almost a third in 2022.
Wait until Newsom finds out about Chicago https://t.co/7cTOPXIeJg
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) May 30, 2023
The increase in lawlessness correlates with a sharp increase in theft. The increase in car theft has been especially high-profile, up 114% since 2018. Furthermore, all other thefts have increased by 32% over the last five years.
Following a sharp increase in homicides in 2020 and 2021, 2022 saw a small decline. However, the number of murders peaked at more than 60% higher in 2021 than two years prior. However, four of Chicago’s deadliest years in the last two decades occurred over the last decade.
