Chicago Shootings: The Windy City’s Most Violent Weekend This Year

The Chicago shooting wave continues to haunt the city. Over Father’s Day weekend, seven people were killed and at least 41 were injured in the ongoing wave of gun violence currently stalking Chicago.

The death toll this past weekend is actually higher than the six people killed in Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend. And, of course, that was a three-day weekend starting Friday night and continuing through Monday night.

This weekend’s gun violence count started on Friday night and continued through Sunday night.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Father’s Day weekend was the most violent weekend of the year so far.

Many of the cases were unrelated. The Sun-Times link provides an exhaustive list of most of the dead and injured in the Chicago shootings.

However, Chicago police pointed out that gun violence overall is actually down. In an emailed statement from Chicago spokesman Adam Collins:

“We had 8 fewer shooting incidents this weekend compared to the same weekend in 2012…[W]e’ve had fewer murders to date this year than any year since the mid-1960s.”

In that case, why the public impression that gun violence is growing when the crime statistics say it’s falling?

It may be because the publicity surrounding gun violence in Chicago, President Barack Obama’s hometown, provides fuel for both sides of the gun control debate.

Those who oppose new gun legislation point to the shooting waves that happen in Chicago despite the city’s strict gun control laws. They argue that the violent crimes are proof that gun control doesn’t work.

But others say that the problem is guns from outside cities with strict controls. Those people would like to see expanded gun control legislation.

While the debate continues, the city of Chicago has already spent 75 percent of its overtime to keep the homicide rate as low as it is.

Once the money runs out, we could see another wave of Chicago shootings.

[photo by Sascha Burkard via Shutterstock]