**Chicago devasted by yet another violent Memorial Day weekend with staggering 51 shot, including 12 fatal incidents, despite peacekeeping efforts**
Once again, Chicago saw a bloody Memorial Day weekend, with 51 people shot, including 12 fatalities. This massive wave of violence occurred even as “peacekeepers” patrolled the city streets to curb bloodshed.
WFLD reported that by Sunday night, twelve individuals had already died from gunshot wounds sustained during the holiday weekend. HeyJackass.com, a website dedicated to Chicago gun violence statistics, revealed that Saturday alone witnessed ten people being shot and killed. This chilling number has only been matched or surpassed on three other days in the site’s decade-long history of monitoring gun violence.
The Chicago Sun-Times confirmed that during the weekend, at least 39 people were injured in shooting incidents throughout the city. Among the casualties was a 2-year-old girl who accidentally shot herself after discovering an unsecured gun in her home.
In a recent press conference, newly-elected Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive Democrat, revealed plans to tackle violence in the city. However, these tragic occurrences took place despite Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement of 30 “peacekeepers” arriving to prevent crime during the weekend.
The Citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit (CPRU) intended to deploy these peacekeepersto assist with de-escalation, conflict resolution, and crisis support across Chicago.
Unfortunately, the extent of the violence even forced authorities to shut down the popular North Avenue Beach when a gunfire exchange occurred between two groups of teenagers.
**These disheartening numbers prove that there is still much work to be done in finding effective solutions to combat crime and gun violence in Chicago.**
