Chicago City Wire

Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey recently slammed Gov. J.B. Pritzker following shootout incidents, one of which is in South Loop parking lot.

"J.B. Pritzker is in D.C. hobnobbing with his elite friends when he should be home answering for his soft on crime bills, like the no cash bail and the so-called SAFE-T Act," he said in a press release. "This morning six men were in a shootout in the South Loop, which is starting to look like the O.K. Corral. Families and jobs are fleeing daily due to rising crime and taxes. This is all on your watch, Pritzker. Stop running for president, J.B., and do your job. It’s time to provide relief, catch criminals and keep families safe. Lives depend on it.”

On Monday, a concealed carry holder was approached by five armed gunmen in a South Loop parking lot when a shootout ensued. The five-on-one shootout saw the single party injured in the exchange of gunfire. The attackers ran to a black Jeep and a white sedan. A little over a mile away a woman had been carjacked minutes earlier but police did not confirm if the incidents are related, according to NBC 5 Chicago. 

Bailey opposes "career politicians from advancing their own agendas, rather than what is best for Illinois." He has also mentioned that Illinoisans need a governor helping them and "not campaigning in Florida for president." He has also called for several special sessions to address various issues including crime. Bailey pledged to "fight for the working people, not the political elites." On his website, he noted that “today, there is a political class that is ignoring our values and harming American families. Illinois needs a leader that is one of us.” 

The state, according to former federal prosecutor Tom Hogan, has one of the worst prosecutors in the country citing Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. "Her refusal to prosecute certain crimes or refusal to sentence hard is one of the main reasons that she makes the list" in the five worst prosecutors, and why there's a spike in crime rates, Hogan said. In a previous and separate shootout incident, Foxx at first sought not to charge gang members involved but later conceded to only charge them with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, Chicago City Wire earlier reported. 

Shootings have increased in frequency for those in and around Chicago. City-wide, the Chicago Police Department reported that year-to-date crime complaints on shooting incidents increased nearly 9% from 3,258 in 2020  to 3,561 in 2021, and 29% from four years prior.