Sixty-two people were shot, with 14 killed, in weekend violence in Chicago.
The official count started at 6 p.m. on June 26 and ended June 28 at 11:59 p.m., a Chicago Police Department spokeswoman told The Epoch Times. There were 49 shooting incidents.
The higher count seen in some news outlets stems from non-police counts that had started earlier on June 26, the spokeswoman said.
Police Superintendent David Brown said at a press conference on June 29 that officers need help from the community in identifying people who commit the shootings.
“We all need to be outraged over this gun violence,” he said. “We cannot compartmentalize the violence that is tearing families and communities apart.”
He said many offenders are given little to no jail time. They’re then placed on electronic monitoring but “monitored by no one.” Many of the criminals then commit violent acts.
“Someone knows something about the murders. If you have any information, reach out to our detectives. … For the sake of Chicago’s children, come forward with any information you may have that can help us solve these crimes,” Brown said.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, said in a statement over the weekend: “As a mother, I am tired of the funerals. I am tired of burying our children.
“It’s on all of us to double down on our all-hands-on-deck public safety efforts with police officers, street outreach teams, trauma support workers, community and faith-based partners. We must ask ourselves: ‘What are we each doing to make this a season of bounty, not tragedy?'”
The previous weekend—June 19 to June 21— Chicago recorded 58 shooting incidents, which included 78 victims, and 11 deaths.
Illinois’ largest city has been plagued by violence for years.
The city saw 268 murders as of June 14, a 22 percent increase from the same time period last year.
The spate of violence included 104 shootings on Father’s Day weekend, leaving 14 people dead.
Victims shot from June 26 to June 28 included a 10-year-old girl, a 1-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old male.
Local organizers have increasingly called for a focus on gun violence amid a nationwide push against alleged racial injustice.
“It would be an ultimate contradiction to march for justice for George Floyd and not say a word about a 3-year-old who can’t defend himself or speak for himself,” Rev. Ira Acree told reporters earlier this month. “Don’t miss the point. We say black lives matter. Black babies’ lives matter more.”
Tio Hardiman, executive director of Violence Interrupters, said June 25 that he understands the goals of Black Lives Matter but wants them to include stopping gun violence.
“We need help to do our best to stop gun violence in Chicago. The entire nation should be outraged when a 3-year-old is executed on the streets of Chicago and a 13-year-old girl was killed on the west side [of] Chicago as well,” he said.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
