Illinois celebrated its first ‘Barack Obama Day‘ on Saturday. Meanwhile in the former president’s adopted home town, gang violence ran rampant. With high temperatures and low self-control, the city’s criminal class kept hospitals busy. By the end of the holiday weekend, 60 were wounded and 10 had died.
Operating from their standard summer season playbook, Chicago police blamed illegal guns for the carnage rather than they city’s gangs.
From ABC News Chicago:
Dozens of people were wounded in shootings across Chicago since Friday, police said. One paramedic described the evening as “a war zone.”
Since midnight, police said 43 people have been shot, six fatally. Since Friday at 5 p.m., 60 people have been shot, nine fatally, in shootings in Chicago.
34 of the shootings and five deaths occurred between 10 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday, according to police. During one two-and-a-half hour-hour period, 25 people were shot in five multi-injury shootings.
Mayor Emanuel and friends must have contacted the news outlet because clicking that original link takes folks to this new story:
CHICAGO — A violent weekend in Chicago left 10 people dead and dozens more wounded, police said.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson plans to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Monday.
However, CPD says it has seen a citywide reduction in shootings by 30 percent this year.
But the Internet is forever.
Need another example of how the mainstream media minimizes the crime and gang violence in Rahm’s paradise by the lake? Here’s a shot of the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times‘ website this weekend, highlighting the city’s really important news.
Lollapalooza celebrated its 25th anniversary this weekend as well. One hundred thousand mostly young people paid $335 plus taxes and fees for general admission to come see the concerts.
But HeyJackass.com reports the time, address (and neighborhood), along with the sex and age of most of the victims:
Friday 8/3
1:55p 100 E 113th, Roseland, M/25
3:10p 7600 S Kingston, South Shore, M/23
3:35p 11300 S Carpenter, Morgan Park, M/21
7:15p 400 S Kedzie, Garfield Park, M/66
7:55p 7700 S South Shore, South Shore, M/30
11:00p 3000 W Jackson, Garfield Park, M/17
Saturday 8/4
12:05a 3700 N Troy, Irving Park, M/25
12:40a 12200 S State, West Pullman, M/26
12:55a 1700 N Mason, Austin, F/20
12:55a 1700 N Mason, Austin, M/22
1:20a 100 N Oakley, Near West Side, M/25
1:30a 9800 S Greenwood, Pullman, M/21
4:00a 3400 W Huron, Humboldt Park, F/41
4:00a 3400 W Huron, Humboldt Park, M/41
11:55a 6800 S Wood, Englewood, M/58
11:55a 6800 S Wood, Englewood, M/47
10:50a 5900 S Maplewood, Chicago Lawn, M/38
1:35p 600 E 76th, Grand Crossing, M/25
2:30p Woman Killed by Pitbull, Pitbull Killed by CPD
3:25p 3900 W Madison, Garfield Park, M/26
5:30p 500 E 92nd, Chatham, M/22
Sunday 8/5
12:05a 3700 W Altgeld, Logan Square, F/20
12:05a 1600 S Avers, North Lawndale, M/13
12:05a 1600 S Avers, North Lawndale, M/16
12:05a 1600 S Avers, North Lawndale, F/17
12:05a 1600 S Avers, North Lawndale, M/25
12:20a 4100 W Cullerton, North Lawndale, M/18
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, F/14
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, F/17
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, F/17
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, F/19
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, M/18
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, M/19
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, F/21
12:40a 1300 W 76th, Auburn Gresham, M/35
12:50a 900 S Karlov, Garfield Park, M/29
12:50a 900 S Karlov, Garfield Park, F/30
12:50a 900 S Karlov, Garfield Park, M/30
12:50a 900 S Karlov, Garfield Park, M/43
1:00a 4800 S Paulina, New City, M/26
1:30a 3200 S Keeler, Little Village, M/26
2:25a 4700 W Gladys, Austin, F/28
2:25a 4700 W Gladys, Austin, F/29
2:25a 4700 W Gladys, Austin, F/41
2:35a 1300 S Millard, North Lawndale, F/17
2:35a 1300 S Millard, North Lawndale, M/11
2:35a 1300 S Millard, North Lawndale, M/14
2:35a 1300 S Millard, North Lawndale, F/17
2:35a 1300 S Millard, North Lawndale, M/17
2:35a 1300 S Millard, North Lawndale, F/21
2:50a 200 S Pulaski, Garfield Park, M/14
4:15a 1600 N Leclaire, Austin, M/19
4:15a 1600 N Leclaire, Austin, M/21
4:15a 1600 N Leclaire, Austin, M/37
4:15a 1600 N Leclaire, Austin, M/?
5:45a 12100 S Bishop, West Pullman, M/33
6:50a 100 N Leclaire, Austin, M/32
6:50a 100 N Leclaire, Austin, F/21
6:50a 100 N Leclaire, Austin, F/27
6:50a 100 N Leclaire, Austin, M/30
6:50a 100 N Leclaire, Austin, F/34
12:10p 700 E 93rd, Chatham, F/30
12:45p 4500 W North, Humboldt Park, M/62
4:15p 7600 S Union, Auburn Gresham, M/17
7:50p 2700 S Dearborn, Douglas, F/?
7:50p 2700 S Dearborn, Douglas, F/?
7:50p 2700 S Dearborn, Douglas, M/24Key:
shooting
homicide
In the above photo from the Chicago Tribune, police look over the scene of one of the gang shootouts. Note the discarded empty liquor bottles that outnumber the shell casings.
Of course, Chicago police say they have the remedy to Chicago’s violence problem: going after the “illegal guns.” From the re-cast ABC News story:
Police say the violence is unacceptable and they say they continue to take illegal guns off the streets.
New flash: it’s not gun violence. It’s gang violence.
Dear Chicago Police Department: How about taking violent criminal predators off the streets? Chicago’s gang members don’t fear law enforcement or the criminal justice system. One life-long resident told the Tribune as much:
One man stood by himself, leaning his back against a chain-link fence on the north side of 16th Street, watching police work the large crime scene to his east. He estimated more than 1,000 people had been there. He talked freely but did not want to be named. He’s lived in the neighborhood his whole life.
“I know the rules,” he said.
The man had been on his way out when he heard the gunshots, he said. He commented on the brazenness of shootings he’s grown accustomed to.
“If they shoot you, they don’t even run,” he said. “They just walk away, they ain’t trying to run.”
As hard as they try, the Chicago Police Department has identified and charged criminal suspects in just 13.7% of homicides (47 of 342) this year. In fairness, they don’t get a lot of help from the community. Or the revolving door criminal justice system.
When the criminals don’t fear arrest or imprisonment, they act with impunity. Just like the man who “knows the rules” says.