On Monday, the opening day of the DNC in Chicago, the Chicago Police Department reported eight shootings, four of which resulted in fatalities, and one armed robbery.
As local and federal officials provide extra protection throughout the convention and large-scale protests in downtown Chicago, that contrasts with a total of 26 shooting occurrences over the weekend preceding the Democratic National Convention, involving 30 victims in all, five of whom died.
During a press conference on Monday, Superintendent Larry Snelling of the Chicago Police Department stated, “Our officers are out there. They’re out there. They’re highly visible. And we have officers not only along the corridors downtown, in and around the venues of the Democratic National Convention, but also in our neighborhoods to continue to protect our people who are living in areas that are the most vulnerable. Our officers are protecting the entire city.”
The first shooting incident on Monday happened at around one in the morning. A 35-year-old man was inside a car on the 1000 block of E. 92nd Street when he was shot multiple times in the face. According to the CPD, he was comatose when police arrived and is still in critical condition.
When police arrived to a call around noon on Monday, they were asked to see how the caller’s family member was doing. They found the 25-year-old male victim, who had been shot in the head, unresponsive in an alleyway on the 8200 block of S. South Shore Drive. On the spot, he was declared deceased.
About three hours later, two unidentified male suspects came on foot, flashed a pistol, and demanded the personal belongings of a thirty-one-year-old guy who was strolling on the sidewalk on S. Burnam Ave. close to the South Shore.
After stealing the victim’s possessions, the suspects ran away on foot.
The victim, a 17-year-old kid, was shot numerous times by an unknown individual as he drove west on the 3800 block of W. 26th St. at approximately five o’clock in the evening. The victim was left “stuck on the left shoulder” until police arrived. He was later declared deceased at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Two unidentified male suspects started firing at the 34-year-old guy who was standing on the sidewalk in the 8000 block of S. Green St. at 5:30 p.m. before they left the scene. After receiving a gunshot wound to the head, the sufferer was taken to a neighboring hospital and is currently recovering well.
A dark vehicle came, and three male suspects who were not identified stepped out and opened fire toward the 26-year-old victim who was standing on the sidewalk in the 7700 block of S. Bennett Ave., approximately 20 minutes later. The victim, who was wounded in the left calf, is still in stable condition.
A 32-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk in the Englewood neighborhood at 6:30 p.m. when a blue vehicle drove up and an unidentified suspect opened fire. The victim was hit in the chest twice and was declared dead at the scene.
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Officers responded to reports of gunfire around 8:40 p.m. in West Chicago, which is located just north of East Garfield Park. They found an unconscious male victim on the ground who had sustained several gunshot wounds to his torso and face. After being taken to a nearby hospital, his condition is still critical.
When police arrived at a second complaint of gunfire at around 10:20 p.m., they found a 33-year-old man on the ground suffering from several gunshot wounds to his arms and face. After being taken to a neighboring hospital, he was declared deceased.
Compared to the same period during the previous four years, there have been fewer murders and shootings thus far this year. According to CPD citywide data, there have been 344 documented murders so far this year compared to 379 last year, a 9% decline in murders, and there have been 9% fewer gunshots, with 1,390 reported so far this year compared to 1,468 at the same time last year.
Although Chicago’s overall crime rate is down 11% this year, violent crime has been on the rise for the past three years, with a 63% increase in violent crime in 2021 over 2020.
