A violent weekend in Chicago left several people dead as shootings, vandalism and rioting raged, according to local media reports.
Shootings in the city killed eight people and injured at least two dozen others from Friday through Sunday, with two teenage boys losing their lives, ABC 7 reported. Rioters smashed car windows Saturday night and two teenagers were shot when hundreds clustered in the vicinity of the Chicago Loop area and attempted to force their way into Millennium Park, according to Fox 32, despite a youth escort policy banning unaccompanied minors from the park after 6 p.m. on weekends. (RELATED: REPORT: A Third Of NYC Shoplifting Committed By The Same 347 People)
WATCH:
“In no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this week,” Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson said Sunday night. “However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
— Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) April 16, 2023
The Loop events resulted in the arrests of nine adults and six juveniles, according to ABC 7.
Around 300 to 400 youths congregated on Chicago’s 31st Street Beach Friday night, Fox 32 reported, and apparently used smoke bombs or fireworks. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the thigh nearby at about 8:50 p.m. local time, and someone shattered a police car’s window.
The weekend violence occurred days after Democrats announced Chicago would host their 2024 National Convention, despite murder and motor vehicle theft complaints rising more than 30% and 130%, respectively, in the city between 2019 and 2022. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Sunday that Chicago “cannot and will not allow any of our public spaces to become a platform for criminal conduct,” according to ABC 7.
“Most importantly, parents and guardians must know where their children are and be responsible for their actions,” Lightfoot declared, the outlet reported. “Instilling the important values of respect for people and property must begin at home.”
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