36 People Shot in Chicago, 7 Killed: Death Toll Rises to 20 in Two Weeks
Violence in Chicago continued to increase over the weekend, with a total of 36 people wounded, and seven left dead over the past two days.
Chicago has seen an increase in violence over the past two weeks. On Sunday, police shot a man who ran from his car after being pulled over. During his run, he fell to the ground, and attempted to pull a weapon from his waistband before police took aim and killed him. The man was one of seven people who were killed by gunshot wounds Sunday night, as violence continues to plague the city.
A larger shooting occurred outside of a club in the Greater Grand Crossing area according to Complex City Guide. Four men were shot and killed just after midnight. The youngest victim killed over the weekend was a 16-year-old boy. Indentified as Kevin Rivera, the boy was walking down an alley in Humboldt Park when a suspect on a bike rode past, shooting him in the arm and back.
A similar report ran last week after 13 people were shot and killed last weekend in Chicago. At least three teenage victims were involved in the violence; of the 13 killed, the eldest victim was 33 years old.
In 2012, 506 people were killed as a result of a homicide according to Complex. While city officials are struggling to correct the situation, an immediate recovery was not anticipated. Gun violence is actually down in the greater part of the city, according to MarketPlace.org. It is only in key neighborhoods where gun violence has increased, mostly in the South and West neighborhoods.
Much of the violence has been blamed on warring gang factions who are fighting over drug territory. Those who live in those areas admit that it does not feel safe.
"People just don't feel safe going anywhere," one boy said during an interview with MP. "They have to watch their backs. They feel like they have to carry a weapon on them. They just don't trust anyone who walks by them. People don't seem too nice these days."