The Memorial Day weekend in Chicago marked a tragic milestone, as the city experienced its deadliest weekend in eight years.
From early Friday evening until Tuesday morning, a total of 11 individuals lost their lives, while another 46 people were wounded. This death toll surpassed the figures seen in recent years, reaching its highest point since 2015 when 12 fatalities were recorded.
Analyzing the distribution of violence, the 6th police district situated on the South Side reported the highest number of shooting victims, with at least seven individuals affected. Following closely, the 11th district located on the West Side accounted for at least six people who were shot.
Tragically, the weekend began with a series of tragic incidents as a woman was found stabbed to death merely two blocks away from the Mayor Brandon Johnson’s residence in the Austin neighborhood. Later that day, in the 700 block of North Pine Avenue, a 36-year-old man sustained gunshot wounds but was in stable condition after receiving medical treatment.
In response to the escalating situation, additional police officers were deployed throughout the weekend. Mayor Johnson and Interim CPD Supt. Fred Waller controversially canceled officers’ days off to bolster staffing levels during these violent periods.
Additional incidents included:
- In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, a 33-year-old man was found deceased with a gunshot wound on Saturday just before 1 a.m.
- Another victim, William Hair, aged 35, was discovered with a gunshot wound to the chest in Lake View.
- In the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, a 37-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man were shot in the face while standing on a sidewalk.
- Around 20 minutes later, in Little Village, Johnathan Salgado, aged 22, was shot in the chest and killed while standing on a sidewalk as well.
- another fatal shooting occurring in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. At approximately 11:15 a.m., a man was shot to death around North Ridgeway Avenue, as reported by the police.
- In Auburn Gresham, less than an hour later, a woman lost her life while three men sustained injuries in a drive-by shooting incident.
- An off-duty Michigan police officer inadvertently discharged a weapon, causing self-inflicted injuries and seriously wounding another man at Hotel Chicago in River North.
- Late on Saturday, a fatal shooting was reported in Woodlawn, leading to the death of a 26-year-old man who had been shot in the back.
- In the Lake View neighborhood, three men were shot early Sunday outside a Mariano’s grocery store located at Broadway and Barry. All three victims were transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital for medical attention.
- Approximately an hour later, in West Garfield Park, two individuals were shot while inside a car. Sadly, a 35-year-old man lost his life after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head.
- In Calumet Heights, early Monday morning, a shooting left three people injured, including a 77-year-old man who was shot in the back and a 57-year-old woman struck in the head.
- On Monday night, a 16-year-old boy was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Austin.
During the entire span of the weekend, starting from 5 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 25 individuals were wounded in nonfatal shootings across various locations in the city.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, Last year’s Memorial Day weekend witnessed 51 individuals being shot, surpassing the figures of the previous five years. Of those, nine people lost their lives, and 42 others sustained injuries.
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