As Gun Violence Rages, Chicago Reels from Another Bloody Weekend of Shootings

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS-

The city of Chicago suffered another devastating weekend of gun violence, leaving 7 dead and 40 wounded across dozens of shootings that have become an all too common occurrence.

As the city reels, community groups and civic leaders are yet again calling for curbs on the tragic loss of life.

Over just three days, Chicago was the scene of horrific shootings in nearly every corner of the city.

The victims ranged from 14 to 66 years old, but much of the violence disproportionately impacted teens and young adults.

Among the lives lost was a 24-year-old man, shot while waiting at a red light when a white SUV pulled up and unleashed gunfire.

Despite being rushed to the hospital, the young victim did not survive.

Two promising Chicago high school students also had their lives tragically cut short.

Fourteen-year-old Rayjohn, who dreamed of playing varsity basketball, was found dead just days before starting freshman year.

Seventeen-year-old Ashuntice, involved in an anti-violence program, will no longer get to experience her senior year.

Overall, nearly 50 people were struck by bullets, a jarring statistic but not all that unusual for Chicago in 2023.

This year has seen shooting incidents rise by 13% and shooting victims increase by 21% from 2021.

Weekend violence has become far too commonplace.

In the face of this crisis, community groups are taking more action than local government.

One initiative aims to curb shootings by proposing a nightly “9 PM to 9 AM gunfire curfew”.

Organizers are also urging individuals to stop glorifying “switches”—street slang for shooters who alternate guns.

They say this toxic gun culture normalizes violence.

“The dangerous mingling of different groups puts innocent people at risk,” said Tatiana Atkins, co-founder of the group Native Sons.

“It’s key to start somewhere to create meaningful change.”

While the problem seems daunting, Atkins emphasizes that even incremental steps matter.

Her group also advocates ending the glorification of shooters overall and discouraging ski mask use.

Oddly enough, the twelve hour gunfire curfew idea didn’t work at all.

As Chicago processes this weekend’s horrific violence, local schools are providing grief counseling to affected students.

“Our hearts break for these families who will not be able to welcome their loved ones home,” Chicago Public Schools said in a statement.

The bloodshed has ignited demands for action to curb the seemingly perpetual loss of life.

While solutions seem elusive, community leaders believe it starts with changing norms around guns and ending the cycle of retaliatory violence.

“It’s easy to feel hopeless, but we cannot become numb to this,” said local pastor Michael Pfleger.

“It’s our responsibility to continue fighting for our children’s right to live free of fear.”

From community-based programs to policy and law enforcement reforms, addressing the deeply entrenched violence plaguing Chicago will require an all-hands-on-deck approach..maybe even the National Guard.

But many believe that if city and civic leaders can somehow muster the will to care about their citizens, progress is possible.

As Chicago grapples with yet another weekend of bloodshed, the quest for logical solutions remains urgent.

For a city long mired in gun violence, the path forward will be neither quick nor easy.

Just giving up cannot be an option when lives hang in the balance.

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ABC7 Chicago