50 Shot, 7 Dead, in Chicago so Far This Weekend: Police

Chicago update

Police investigate in the 7200 block of South Artesian in Marquette Park, Chicago, Ill., on July 3, 2020. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Seven people are dead and 43 others, including seven boys, were injured in shootings across Chicago this weekend, Chicago police officials said.

The latest fatal shooting occurred in the Southwest Side’s Little Village. A 20-year-old male was shot and killed at around 3 a.m., officials told the Chicago Sun-Times, which reported that officials said he was dropped off at a local hospital with a gunshot wound in his abdomen before he was pronounced dead a short while later.

According to officials, two people were shot, one of them fatally, in the Loop neighborhood about 20 minutes before that, ABC7 reported. One of the victims, a 35-year-old male, was shot in the neck, police said, adding that a 25-year-old woman was also shot in the left arm.

Police said that both victims were uncooperative and wouldn’t tell officers where the shooting took place, according to the report.

Over the weekend, at least 18 officers and four demonstrators were injured in clashes during Black Lives Matter-related protests. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, assailed protesters for attacking police.

“Unfortunately, last night, a portion of the protesters turned violent. A number of individuals came with frozen water bottles, rocks, bottles, cans and other gear to throw at officers. People in the crowd also threw fireworks and other incendiary devices at police, causing injury in several cases. These violent acts are unacceptable and put everyone at risk,” she said in a statement. Several people were arrested and could face felony charges in connection to the clashes.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., on April 3, 2020. Chris Sweda-Pool via Getty Images

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is slated to make an announcement about Chicago and the rise of violent crime across various cities this week.

“We’ll have another announcement next week with the Attorney General, the FBI, and others concerning our cities, because the left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing,” Trump said on July 15.

“And it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing. So we’ll be talking about that next week and probably have an announcement as to what we’re planning to do to help them. They’re supposed to be asking for help, and they don’t want to ask,” Trump said, alluding to Lightfoot and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who are both Democrats.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany last week called Lightfoot “derelict,” adding that the mayor has done a “very poor” job in how the city polices itself.