In the hours leading up to the inauguration of Chicago’s 57th Mayor, Brandon Johnson, the city was engulfed in a series of violent incidents.
During the Mother’s Day weekend, the period from 6 p.m. Friday through to the end of Sunday, saw over two dozen people shot and multiple fatalities, painting a grim picture of a city under siege.
Chicago police data revealed a total of 21 recorded shooting incidents, leaving 27 people wounded, including at least six juveniles. Of the victims, at least six succumbed to their gunshot injuries, while one individual died from a stabbing.
One of the most heart-wrenching incidents occurred on Saturday, just shy of 6 p.m., in the 6400 block of S. King Drive. Gunfire claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy and seriously injured a 16-year-old.
The older teen suffered a chest wound, while his younger companion was hit in the right arm. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Hospital, where the 17-year-old tragically died. The 16-year-old, on the other hand, was reported to be in stable condition.
Another shooting episode on the same day around 7:10 p.m. saw a 40-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy becoming victims while entering a residential building in the 3300 block of W. Potomac. The man took a bullet to his right arm, while the boy was shot in his right leg. Both victims were reported to be in stable condition.
But the weekend’s crime wave was not limited to shootings. Robberies and carjackings continued to plague the city, further highlighting the urgency for more effective crime-fighting strategies.
Sunday morning saw a gang of four men armed with semi-automatic weapons rob 10 people in a swift half-hour crime spree at West North at Springfield in Humboldt Park, as reported by FOX32 Chicago.
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With the city’s reins handed over to him, Mayor Johnson, aged 47, is advocating for a departure from traditional crime-fighting strategies. He has been critical of the prevailing policing-first approach, suggesting it has not yielded the desired results. As an alternative, Johnson proposes a focus on mental health treatment, the hiring of additional detectives, expanded youth employment programs, and taxing property sales over $1 million to fund affordable housing projects.
The former Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, leaves office with a daunting crime record. During her tenure, the city experienced 2,784 homicides and a staggering 14,681 shooting incidents, according to police data spanning from 2019 to the present. 2021 saw homicides in Chicago soar to a 25-year-high, with 804 reported cases, as per the Chicago Police Department.
While there was a decrease in homicides last year, other criminal activities, such as carjackings and robberies, showed an alarming increase, underscoring the challenges that the incoming mayor faces.
It remains to be seen how Johnson’s new approach will impact the city’s spiraling crime statistics.