104 Shot, 14 Fatally, In Deadly Father’s Day Weekend In Chicago
According to an updated report by NBC News citing Chicago police, 104 people were shot, 14 left dead following a deadly Father’s Day weekend across the city.
A toddler and four teenagers were among those shot to death between Friday evening and Monday morning, according to data maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times. It was said that seven other juveniles were also struck by gunfire.
This weekend’s youngest victim has been identified as 3-year-old Mekay James. He was reportedly shot Saturday evening when someone opened fire at his father as they drove through the 600 block of North Central in Austin, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Mekay’s father rushed him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
As the news site notes, this recent string of shootings came just three weeks after 24 people were killed and at least 61 others were shot during Chicago’s most violent weekend in modern history.
On Sunday, Police Supt. David Brown addressed the shooting that involved the young boy while mourning the loss of 13-year-old Amaria Jones, who was shot hours after Mekay when a stray bullet tore through her apartment in the same neighborhood and pierced her neck as she watched television. Sadly, Amaria died a short time later after being taken to an area hospital, authorities said. Two teenage boys, ages 15 and 16, were also wounded in the attack.
“I put myself in that house, holding that little girl as she struggles to breathe,” Brown said. “I put myself in that hospital, clutching that baby with a bullet hole. Tears are natural reactions to these tragic stories of violence, but we need to do more than just cry.”
During the conference he said, “Bullets don’t just tear apart the things they strike,” added Brown. “Bullets also tear apart families. Bullets destroy neighborhoods and they ruin any sense of safety in a community.” While speaking, Brown repeatedly pushed to “keep violent offenders in jail longer” and revamp the home monitoring program.
NBC News has provided the timeline of the weekend shootings. Click here for more.
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