A special weekend meant to celebrate, honor, and remember those who have sacrificed their lives for this country has ended in great tragedy in Chicago.
Several people were reported dead and dozens of others were injured during this Memorial Day weekend. According to ABC7 Chicago, at least 53 people were shot and 10 sadly died due to gun violence. The shooting victims from across the city range in age from 2 to 77 years old.
Despite collaborative public safety efforts, horrible violence still occurred. According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, this was the deadliest Memorial Day weekend in Chicago in eight years. Community activist Andrew Holmes told NBC Chicago, “It’s been an uptick, a trend, and I’ve been telling them and letting the know. Lock the gun down! You just cannot let your boyfriend, your family members keep coming inside your house with a weapon of mass destruction and your baby gets a hold to it.”
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More On The Shootings
Out of the 42 separate incidents, a 33-year-old man was found on the sidewalk in the 7800 block of South Seeley Avenue. He had a gunshot wound to his left armpit just before 1 a.m. on Saturday. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
On Saturday at around 2:15 a.m., a 34-year-old man was discovered in the 500 block of West Surf Street with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to a local hospital where he passed away. That same day, a 37-year-old woman was struck in the face and hospitalized in critical condition while a 36-year-old man was killed.
As tragic as that all sounds, it sadly got worse over the weekend. While a 20-year-old man was killed as he walked on a sidewalk, on Sunday, a pair of toddlers were also wounded by gunfire over the Memorial Day weekend in separate incidents just hours apart. The first victim, a 2-year-old girl, found a handgun and accidentally shot herself in the hand per WTTW. She was taken to a hospital and is listed in good condition. At around 10:45 p.m. Sunday, a 2-year-old boy was also shot in the hand when he was playing in a bedroom with a man. He was taken to the hospital and is in fair condition.
What Has Biden Said About Gun Violence?
Biden previously called gun violence in the U.S. an “epidemic,” but also an “international embarrassment” back in 2021.
Earlier this year, President Biden signed an executive order to implement tougher background checks when it comes to purchasing weapons, in hopes that this will combat the ongoing issues.
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RELATED: Biden Says Gun Violence In The U.S. Is An ‘Epidemic & International Embarrassment’
RELATED: Biden Says Gun Violence In The U.S. Is An ‘Epidemic & International Embarrassment’