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I don't like the NY Times headline. It ought to read something other than gun violence, maybe gang shootings spike at a new level.


New York Times
Chicago Gun Violence Spikes and Increasingly Finds the Youngest Victims


As Yasmin Miller drove home from a laundromat in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood last weekend, a gunman in another car peppered her red Hyundai sedan with bullets, grazing her head and striking her son, Sincere Gaston, in the chest. Sincere died in his car seat. He was 20 months old.


On June 20, a man fired gunshots through the back of a dark blue SUV, wounding the 27-year-old man driving and hitting his stepson, Mekhi James, in the back, killing him. Mekhi was three.

Two other girls, both aged three, were hospitalized with gunshot wounds in separate incidents in recent days — one after her mother thought she heard fireworks and turned around to see her daughter collapsed on the ground.

These were just the toddlers.

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In all, nine children under 18 have been killed since June 20 as Chicago reels from another wave of gun violence. The last two were killed on Saturday evening. A 14-year-old boy was shot to death on Chicago’s South Side. A seven-year-old girl was struck in the forehead by a bullet when three gunmen opened fire on a July 4 street party on the city’s West Side, police said.

“The Windy City is becoming the Bloody City,” said the Rev. Michael L. Pfleger of Saint Sabina Church, calling it the worst period in the 45 years he has worked on social issues. “I have never seen the despair, hopelessness and anger all mixed together at the level it is right now.”

The violence comes amid a wrenching debate nationwide about policing in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police. Those who defend the police say that the violence shows they need more support, not less, and that it is people living in high-crime areas who most need effective policing. Critics say the violence shows how police are failing the public, how deeply residents distrust officers and the need for reforms and the transfer of funds to address underlying problems, including unemployment, mental illness and drug use.

At least 336 people have been murdered in Chicago through July 2 of this year, according to the Chicago Police Department, a homicide rate on track to hit the 2016 record of 778 deaths. (New York City, with almost three times the population, had 176 murders as of June 28.)

Chicago had 658 murders in 2017, 567 in 2018 and 492 in 2019, according to Chicago police records.

Ahead of the July 4 weekend, Mayor Lori Lightfoot made an appeal to young men, who she said were responsible for the bulk of the shootings. “Think about the number of children that have been killed just in the last two weeks,” she said at a news conference. “Families that will not recover from this hardship. Mothers’ hearts that are broken, fathers’ hearts that are destroyed, grandparents who are living in mourning.”

Chicago isn’t alone. Before the coronavirus hit, homicides were escalating nationwide in early 2020, and although the lockdown brought a pause, they began rising again as the stay-at-home measures were lifted. A national study showed that homicide rates fell in 39 of 64 major cities during April and began creeping up in May.

The pandemic has added significant stress on the communities that already suffer the most violence. Impoverished neighborhoods like Englewood also have some of the highest rates of Covid-19 infections and deaths. Overall, there have been 53,375 known coronavirus cases in Chicago and at least 2,631 deaths, according to statistics from the state.

Unemployment in some of the most affected areas rose to 35 percent from 28 percent during the pandemic, said Father Pfleger. “That is the tragedy,” he said. “The bad situation in this city got even worse with the pandemic. It exposed the reality that Black and brown communities are disproportionately affected.”

“Because this is not one crisis, this is two crises operating at the same time, this could in fact be worse than what we saw in 2016,” said Thomas Abt, a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice and one author of the nationwide homicide study by Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy focused on criminal justice.

Distrust of the police is also a contributing factor as many residents of the hardest-hit neighborhoods feel reluctant to call on law enforcement, perhaps even more so since the death of Mr. Floyd and the nationwide protests against police brutality that followed it.

People who have lost trust in the police are more prone to settle scores on their own, experts said. “The lack of trust, the lack of confidence in police and the lack of willingness to use police, I think is going to have a broader effect,” said Mr. Abt.

The police too are feeling the strain as they try to confront both the violence in the city and the pandemic. “All of the people and organizations that we usually depend on to respond to homicide and violent crime are overburdened right now,” Mr. Abt said.

Chicago’s new police superintendent, David O. Brown, who took the job in April, had vowed to keep murders this year below 300. That benchmark has already fallen.

Mr. Brown called the open air drug markets on street corners “the precursors” to much of the violence, with the drug sellers employing teenagers with no criminal history so they will be released if caught.

Asked about how they are addressing the gun violence, he said that the police are confiscating guns — 4,629 so far this year, over 10,000 last year . He repeatedly appealed to the public for help, saying that residents knew something about the perpetrators in most cases.

A low rate in solving murders — it hovers around 20 percent — and the lack of protection for witnesses both play into the continued high murder rate, said criminologists. Murderers don’t expect to get caught and witnesses feel intimidated, they said.

The Chicago Police Department let its community policing program wither about two decades ago, said Wesley G. Skogan, of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University,. Now, young police officers canvassing unfamiliar blocks have found that residents do not open their doors out of fear of being seen talking to a police officer, he said.

Thomas Ahern, the police department spokesman, disputed the notion that community policing was being neglected. He cited Operation Clean, which works to spruce up neighborhoods including fixing streetlights, repairing damaged buildings and removing graffiti.

Many residents think that is not enough, however. The city needs to do more to protect witnesses, said Rev. Ira Acree of the Greater St. John Bible Church. “People want to tell, but they are afraid,” Rev. Acree told a community meeting that he organized to discuss the shootings, adding that people approach him repeatedly about doing the right thing. They tell him, he said, “I want to go to heaven, but I do not want to go this week.”

He called the death of children ”heartbreaking” for the community. “There was a time even in the gangs, there was some code of ethics, you would not bother the kids or the old ladies. They were off limits,” he said.

The debate over rising violence is also tangled in both local and national politics.

President Trump weighed in on the killings in late June, sending a letter addressed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot, saying that the Federal government could help revitalize distressed neighborhoods but “you must establish law and order.” The mayor accused the president of trying to play politics rather than to help.

Kimberly M. Foxx, the prosecutor for Cook County, has been a strong advocate for reducing the prison population through measures like release without bail, erasing marijuana convictions and not prosecuting low-level crimes like shoplifting.

The police union, also at odds with Mayor Lightfoot over her criticism of some of their actions during the recent unrest, opposes the bail policies.

Chicago’s toll has mounted steadily since Memorial Day weekend — when 85 people were shot and 24 killed — which usually ushers in summer violence. During a 24-hour period the next weekend, 18 people were murdered, the worst day in decades.

Some experts attribute the high numbers of children being killed to collateral damage from gunman leaving their fingers on the triggers of automatic weapons that they have never been trained to shoot.

For example, Amaria Jones, 13, was showing her mother a dance step when a bullet tore through a window and a television set before striking the girl in the neck, killing her. The gunman had opened fire from more than a block away, the police said.

At a memorial for Sincere Gaston, a giant poster bearing the words “Enough is Enough” showed the bright-eyed toddler grasping a green-topped milk bottle.

His parents, Thomas Gaston, 27, and Ms. Miller, complained that the police treated them like suspects, even though Mr. Gaston has participated in an anti-gang program. He was the intended target of the shooting that killed his son, the police said.

Ms. Miller said that detectives initially prevented her from seeing her son, demanding that she first divulge information about who might have carried out the killing. “Have some compassion for us, it hurts,” she said.

John Catanzara, the head of the police union, defended the decision, saying that investigators needed to collect as many details as possible while events were still fresh.

On the hot, humid day the memorial was held, about 100 people gathered under a white tent erected in an empty lot, releasing a flurry of red and blue balloons in Sincere’s honor. “He lit up the room. Everybody loved him,” his mother said. “I can do nothing without that little boy. I feel lifeless, I am lifeless.”

“Father” Pfleger is a dedicated Marxist, he is just as responsible for the carnage as the shooters.

Per capita, Baton Rouge is leading presently with 2 days left in the holiday and pulling away smartly.

Baton Rouge’s new slogan:

We’re number one !!

If this scchitt was an Olympic Sport, we’re talking gold medal performance there .

Winning !

How can this be? Its illegal to own handguns in Chicago. Don't gun laws work??
I am also sick of these shootings called "Gun Violence".
Why do they not call it gang violence?
There was no problem bringing in the "FEDS", 100 years ago to clean up the Mob, Al Capone, etc... and there were probably less than half the killings there are now.
Very sad state.

I’m cheering for a new record.

Toot, That’s the biggest reason I wish my family would relocate! I’ve lost three (3), close friends ( 4, if you count the wife of one) to black murder. 3 were very elderly folks, one a close high school friend putting himself through seminary to be a minister. I fear for my family’s well being, but it’s home for them, and they won’t leave! memtb

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/0...july-weekend-violence-since-late-friday/

At Least 77 People Shot In Chicago, 14 Of Them Killed, In July 4th Weekend Violence Since Late Friday

CHICAGO (CBS) — At least 77 people have been shot in Chicago since Friday night this July 4th holiday weekend, and 13 of them have been killed.

Among the incidents were a shooting that left a 7-year-old girl dead while she was visiting her grandmother for a 4th of July party in South Austin Saturday night, and two mass shootings – one of which left four people dead and four more wounded.

Around 7:02 p.m. Saturday, Natalia Wallace, 7, was shot in the forehead as she and other children played in the yard in the 100 block of North Latrobe Avenue. She was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County where she later died, police said.


Natalia was on the sidewalk when a light-colored vehicle pulled up and an unknown number of people exited. Those people then took out guns and fired shots her direction, police said.

A 32-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting, police said. He transported himself to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition with a gunshot wound to the ankle and a graze wound to the leg.

Family describes Natalia as “sweet, shy, loving, and good at math.”

“Kids outside playing, they shouldn’t have to worry about guns and people shooting,” Natalia’s father, Nathan Wallace, told CBS 2’s Marissa Parra.

A person of interest was being questioned Sunday night in Natalia’s death.


About four and a half hours later, eight people were shot in the 6100 block of South Carpenter Street in Englewood. Four of them – including a 14-year-old boy – died.

There was a large gathering in the middle of the street when police say four men walked up and started shooting.

Police said that boy was shot in the back while playing with two other boys, ages 11 and 15. They were also both struck by gunfire and were reported in fair condition Sunday.

Two others, a 29-year-old man in fair condition and a 35-year-old man in critical condition, were being treated at St. Bernard Hospital Sunday. Three other victims – whose ages have not been specified – also died in addition to the 14-year-old boy, police said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office has not identified the boy who was killed, but an attorney representing his family identified him as Varnado Jones.

Police also responded to another mass shooting around 1:15 Sunday morning near 15th Street and Millard Avenue in North Lawndale. Police said a group of people were lighting fireworks on the sidewalk when a car pulled up and someone inside started shooting towards the crowd.

Six people were shot in that incident. A 20-year-old woman was shot in the head and abdomen and died at the hospital. Five other victims, all men between the ages of 27 and 44 are being treated at different hospitals in good to critical condition.

Another child was also wounded early Sunday morning in West Rogers Park. At 12:58 p.m., a 1-10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old woman were in an apartment building in the 7400 block of North Artesian Avenue when a man fired shots through the door and struck them both.

The girl was taken to AMITA Health St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in good condition with a graze wound to the right hand, while the women was taken to the same hospital in serious conditions with gunshots to both legs.

And around 10:25 p.m. Saturday, a 15-year-old boy was struck by a stray bullet in the 3000 block of South Tripp Avenue in Little Village. He was wounded in the knee and was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in fair condition.

Police believe the bullets were fired a couple of blocks away in an alley behind the 2800 block of South Keeler Avenue by someone in a passing vehicle. A 23-year-old man was shot in the shoulder and a 27-year-old man was shot in the leg. Both were in fair condition Sunday.

And around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, four people were in an alley in the 3700 block of West Jackson Boulevard near the park of Garfield Park, when they heard shots and held pain. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the side, a 19-year-old man was shot in each thigh, a 35-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the buttocks, and a 55-year-old man was shot in the buttocks.

All were either in good condition or refused treatment.


Meanwhile, in other fatal shootings this weekend:

• At 1:55 a.m. Saturday, two men were inside a business in the 6600 block of South Halsted Street in Englewood when someone opened fire. A 20-year-old man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center with gunshot wounds around his body and was pronounced dead. A 49-year-old man in a vehicle nearby was shot the left thigh and was taken to the same hospital in critical condition. The man who was killed is identified as Ishawn Nance.

• One woman was killed and two men were injured in a shooting around 5:20 a.m. Saturday at 31st Street and Lake Shore Drive. The 34-year-old woman and the two men, ages 26 and 32, were walking in the Saturday when a group of about six men came up to the woman, police said. Three of the four men distracted the woman, while two men took out guns and fired shots at the woman and the two male victims, police said. The woman died at the scene and the male victims were both hospitalized with gunshots. The woman who was killed is identified as Quentella Smith.

• At 7:16 a.m. Saturday, a 31-year-old man was sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked car in the 6400 block of South Hoyne Avenue in West Englewood, when someone pulled up in a dark-colored sport-utility vehicle and began firing shots. The victim was shot in the chest, neck, and right arm and was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He was identified as Michael P. Means.

• One man was killed and another man and woman were wounded in a shooting at 9:43 p.m. Saturday in South Shore. The victims were standing on the sidewalk in the 2700 block of East 75th Street when someone fired shots from a blue sport-utility vehicle. A 33-year-old man was shot multiple times in the chest and was driven by an acquaintance to Jackson Park Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A 44-year-old man was in fair condition at the U of C Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the left thigh, and a 27-year-old woman refused treatment after suffering a graze wound to the ankle. The man who was killed is identified as Tyrone Long.

• One man was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting in South Chicago around 11:09 p.m. Saturday. The victims were standing on the sidewalk in the 8300 block of South Kingston Avenue when they heard shots and felt pain. A 39-year-old man was pronounced dead at the U of C Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the head, while a 26-year-old man was shot in the right shoulder, a 60-year-old man was shot in the right leg, and a 19-year-old man was also shot in the leg. The man who was killed is identified as Cartrell Tate.

• One man was killed and another was wounded in a shooting around 12:35 a.m. Sunday in the Altgeld Gardens public housing development. The victims were standing in a parking lot in the 1000 block of East 132nd Street when they got into a quarrel with another man. The victims left the parking lot and walked into a home, where the gunman fired through the door and shot them both, police said. A 24-year-old man was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after being shot in the torso, while a 20-year-old man was in fair condition at the same hospital with a gunshot wound to the left leg. The man who was killed is identified as David Scott.

• A man was standing on the sidewalk in the 8600 block of South Vincennes Avenue in Auburn Gresham, when someone fired shots at 2:15 a.m. Sunday. The 21-year-old man was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the head.

• Around 12:45 p.m. Sunday, a 26-year-old man suffered multiple gunshots to his body in the 1400 block of North Kingsbury Street, on the Near North Side opposite Goose Island. The man was rushed to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

President Donald Trump on Sunday addressed the shootings in Chicago in a tweet, and also addressed an uptick in shootings in New York City – singling out New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for criticism. Nearly 40 people were shot in at least 20 incidents on Sunday alone in New York City, and at least four of them died, Cory James of CBS 2 New York reported.

I feel sorry for the kids and for anyone shot that voted Republican or Independent.

Anyone that voted Dem/Comm is getting what they voted for.

Remember the good ole days when Carol Moseley Braun was a senator?








just kidding

From the OP "Unemployment in some of the most affected areas rose to 35 percent from 28 percent during the pandemic, said Father Pfleger. “That is the tragedy,” he said. “The bad situation in this city got even worse with the pandemic. It exposed the reality that Black and brown communities are disproportionately affected.”"

Has to bring in the disparity without the obvious reasons for things being so...

Hey Toot, I just watched last night’s BR news, it seems our “groids” are much better shots than the Chicago “groids”....... BR shot/death ratio appears to be 2 to 1. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, or not! memtb

I’m telling ya, man, them groids is good at it like the spray and pray kind of good at it.

A friend that lives across the way is very high up in the EBR DA’s office and he told me that there are 7 different active gangs operating in the Baton Rouge area and about all they can do is to investigate the scenes. There’s no way to stay ahead of what’s happening there.

The solving, arrests and convictions rates are running at a 30% range presently. So a perp has a 70% chance of remaining free.

Baton Rouge is a lost cause following in the mold of so many other once great cities. Sad to say.

As my neighbor across the way said, “every time a gun goes off there, our property values go up”. It’s true.

I hate to hear about the losses that you mentioned earlier in this thread. That’s bad juju.

Here's the latest totals



Shot & Killed 20
Shot & Wounded 94
Total Shot 114
Total Homicides 21

heyjackass.com Chicago Crime 2020

When you have a black Marxist lesbian mayor of Chicago you can expect three things:
1) Incompetence
2) Corruption
3) Blaming black-on- black shootings and murders on “racism”

Does anyone have an address where we can send more ammo to de boyz in de hood?

Just stack it on the street corners......the way bricks were supplied to the rioters! memtb