Chicago is a city under siege.
Last night, Nathaniel T. Jackson, 40, was shot around 9 p.m. in the 4900 block of West August and pronounced dead at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital at 12:18 a.m His murder is the 500th homicide on record in the city. In 2008, the city suffered 512 murders, ominously, 2012 isn’t over yet and it’s the weekend, a violent time in the City of Big Shoulders.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel addressed the 500th homicide in the city that occurred overnight, he said its “an unfortunate and tragic milestone, which not only marks a needless loss of life but serves as a reminder of the damage that illegal guns and conflicts between gangs cause in our neighborhoods.”
“The brave officers of the Chicago Police Department work tirelessly to continually reduce crime, but this is not just a law enforcement issue,” Emanuel said in a statement.
Hours ago, the News Affairs clarified that one murder on the books has not been officially listed a homicide, and thus the official kill count is still 499.
According to police, homicides are up 17 percent from last year and shootings up 11 percent, although the city has not made the FBI’s most dangerous cities list in 2012.
Yet.
