Summertime violence continues to plague the city of Chicago. Over the Memorial Day weekend, nine people were killed and 36 were wounded.
According to NBC Chicago, a 4-year-old girl was one of the victims. Jacele Johnson was shot in the head while inside an SUV in West Englewood. Jacele and her 17-year-old cousin, Romare Wilson, were inside the vehicle when a car pulled up next to them and opened fire. Jacele is currently in fair condition and Romare is in serious condition after being grazed by a bullet. A 15-year-old girl was shot in the forehead while standing on the sidewalk near the shooting. Her condition has been stabilized.
Fifteen-year-old Raheem Dameron was killed after being shot in back near South Cottage Grove. A 20-year-old man was killed after being shot in the chest while driving near Humboldt Park. LaSean Barnes, 38, was killed after someone fired shots from a beige van on West Maypole. Twenty-nine-year-old Deja Atwood was killed after four people began shooting outside a house party on South Honore. Daniel Rivera, 27, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the face on North Albany. Charlie R. Weathers was found with a gunshot wound to the head on North Laramie. And Carlos F. Marino, 34, was shot in the chest while sitting on his porch after someone approached his home and opened fired.
Chicago’s violence must receive as much attention as the deaths of unarmed Black men at the hands of police officers. There is a serious issue when residents aren’t safe in certain cities in America.
There has yet to be an official statement regarding the Memorial Day shootings from city officials in Chicago.