14 killed, more than 90 shot, over 4th of July weekend in Chicago
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The holiday weekend violence comes after increased media and police attention to the problem that has plagued Chicago all year, the nation's third-largest city which is on pace for more murders than the 774 recorded in 2020.
Despite a highly reported effort by Chicago police to curb violence over the Fourth of July weekend, more than 90 people were shot, 14 of them fatally.
Two little girls, aged 6 and 5, and two Chicago police officers who were breaking up a big crowd that had formed on the city's Far West Side were among those shot since Friday.
Bullets have struck six children in total over the weekend.
"We’ve seen too many times tragically someone else was being targeted and the innocent child is struck," Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said during a press conference Monday while checking on the conditions of his officers, a commander and sergeant, who were both wounded by gunfire.
The holiday weekend violence follows increased media and police attention to a problem that has plagued Chicago all year, with the nation's third-largest city on track to have more murders than the 774 recorded in 2020 — Chicago's second deadliest year in the last two decades and more than New York and Los Angeles combined.
The rise in Chicago gun violence has many in the community pointing the finger at the city’s top cop.
Some community activists are demanding Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown's resignation or firing due to the high amount of gun violence in the city.
(With inputs from agencies)