Tears run down the face of Wentworth Gardens resident Tunyona Frazier as she talks about violence in the housing complex while police investigate a crime scene where three people were shot at the complex on June 23, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Ongoing violence on Chicago’s South Side is raising concerns ahead of the Independence Day weekend. At least 28 people, including two young girls ages nine and one-month, were shot and injured in the city on Thursday alone.
Chicago police said the baby was shot in the head amid a shootout between gangs in the city’s Englewood neighborhood. The nine-year-old was also shot in the head in a drive-by shooting, which happened within hours of the other incident.
Video of the mass shooting tonight at 66th/Halsted. Seven shot, including a one-month-old girl, by gunmen who emerged from a black Jeep Cherokee with rifles. #Chicago pic.twitter.com/39evfBmnN9
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) July 2, 2021
Authorities said both girls are in critical condition while four people were killed. “The family should be looking forward to getting together for holiday festivities, but instead they’re getting together at the emergency room,” said Pastor Donovan Price.
In preparation for the holiday weekend, Chicago police officers are working 12-hour shifts without any days off. Investigators are asking anyone with information on the shootings to contact the Chicago Police Department.
Meanwhile, local leaders are calling for an emergency meeting with the city’s mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Source: One America News Network