Chicago saw its highest number of gun violence victims in a single weekend this year with 104 people shot—14 of them fatally—with at least five minors being struck by gunfire.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said in a news conference on Monday morning, "Bullets don't just tear apart the things they strike. Bullets also tear apart families. Bullets destroy neighborhoods and they ruin any sense of safety in a community."
Among the victims was three-year-old Mekhi James, who police said was fatally shot Saturday as the boy was in a car with his 27-year-old father. Investigators say the father was the intended target but survived the attack. The father reportedly drove his son to a nearby hospital where the boy was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Also over the weekend, a 13-year-old girl was shot and killed—and two other teens were wounded—on Saturday night when shots were fired into their home as they were watching television.
The girl was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. The condition of the other two youths has not been released.
In another incident, two teenage boys—reportedly 15 and 16 years of age—were walking in an alley when someone fired at them. Both teens were struck by gunfire and were transported to a nearby hospital, where the 15-year-old was pronounced dead and the 16-year-old was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is listed in fair condition.
Superintendent Brown said police were working hard to track down those responsible for the violence and said that "gangs, guns, and drugs" are the common thread in most of the recent shootings.
