Gun violence reached a record high over an unusually warm weekend in Chicago that left seven people dead, and at least 37 people wounded. It was the highest number of shooting victims over any weekend so far this year, according to local authorities.
The shootings spanned multiple suburbs and neighborhoods in the greater Chicago area, including Englewood, River North, Pilsen and Pullman.
Last year was the most deadly in 25 years with 797 homicides, and 3,561 shootings reported in Chicago. Though not anticipated, 2022 could still outpace last year’s record violence.
Local authorities have pinned the majority of shootings in Chicago on gang rivalries.
Rampant shootings in Chicago continue to be a focus for Mayor Lori Lightfoot who at the beginning of the year said 2022 would be an important year to reduce gun violence.
Last week, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown released details about new efforts to quell gun violence, especially of ahead of the warmer months. (Chicago police have seen a correlation between warm weather and higher instances of gun violence.)
Note: Blacks, now the third largest minority group in Chicago, behind Latinos, make up 29.2% of the city’s population, according to U.S. Census data for 2022.
Chicago ended 2021 with an unfortunate distinction: the most homicides of any city in the U.S.
Hopefully, 2022 doesn’t mirror — or exceed — 2021’s record homicides.
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