Chicago City Wire

Illinois House Republicans are bringing attention to a crime wave hitting Chicago.

They said there are fears that Chicago’s administration will not be able to stem increasing crime before it gets worse.

“Chicago city officials are concerned about continued violent crime throughout the city as another weekend resulted in several shooting incidents and fatalities,” Illinois House Republicans said on Facebook. “Over the Father's Day weekend, 75 people were shot and 13 died from shootings on the city's South and West sides. It is yet another weekend in which the city has had multiple gun-related deaths." 

Chicago city officials are alarmed by the persistent violent crime plaguing the city, with another weekend marked by numerous shooting incidents and fatalities. Over the Father's Day weekend, 75 people were shot, resulting in 13 deaths on the South and West sides of the city, The Center Square reported. One such incident occurred during a Father's Day gathering, where a father of four was killed when someone fired into the crowd. The Memorial Day holiday weekend also witnessed a high number of shootings, with 32 people injured.

The Chicago Police Department attributed the rise in violence to the warmer weather and acknowledged the need for the department to augment its efforts in tackling the issue. 

"As more people are out in the summertime, we know that some of those people have people that are against them or have conflicts with those people," Fred Waller, interim superintendent of the Chicago Police Department said.  "That's what happened. Somebody came by and just opened fire on the whole group. Our heart goes out to the families. We just need to do better. Try a little harder.” 

The shootings took place in various neighborhoods across the city, and among those injured were several teenagers. Despite a decline in homicides and shootings compared to the previous year, this weekend's outbreak of violence stood out as one of the most severe incidents, surpassing the levels observed during the Memorial Day weekend. 

The incidents encompassed car-to-car gunfire, a fatal shooting stemming from a fight, and targeted attacks. Authorities are actively investigating the incidents, although no arrests have been made in many of the cases, according to ABC News' recent report. 

Since assuming office, Johnson has faced a distressing surge in crime, witnessing a significant 38% rise compared to the corresponding period last year, Jack Elbaum wrote in Washington Examiner. Disturbingly, vehicle thefts soared by a staggering 153%, aggravated battery increased by 17%, and burglary experienced a 12% jump. Shootings also escalated by 5%, while there was a modest 5% decrease in murders, resulting in only three fewer fatalities. Johnson's previous support for police defunding, coupled with a perceived lack of action to combat the crime wave, raises doubts regarding his approach to effectively address this critical issue.