Outsider view on US gun problems

Memorial Day 2020 in Chicago. Where is the outrage?[


Chicago saw its most violent Memorial Day weekend in five years with dozens shot and 10 people killed, despite a stay-at-home order meant to keep people inside during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the holiday weekend, 49 people were shot, according to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, an “unacceptable level of violence” that marked the city’s bloodiest Memorial Day weekend since 2015.

“The violence throughout the city on Memorial Day weekend was nothing short of alarming,” he said during a Tuesday morning press conference.

Among the 10 people who died, three were juveniles, including 16-year-old Darnell Fisher, who was shot and killed in the 6100 block of South Indiana Avenue on Saturday evening.

Brown said many of the shootings stemmed from disputes between rival gang factions as well as clashes involving the sale of illegal drugs.

“Gangs, guns and drugs hold too many people hostage within their own neighborhoods,” Chief of Patrol Fred Waller said Tuesday. “We need to stop this and it can only happen one block, one neighborhood at a time.”

Brown said his department recovered 216 guns over the weekend, an increase of 68 over the same weekend last year, including several equipped with extended magazines. Police made a total of 86 arrests for gun offenses.

Warm temperatures and restless residents also headed outdoors in droves over the weekend, many in defiance of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, leading to police issuing 300 group dispersal each day, according to Brown.

That included a large gathering police broke up Monday in Grant Park. Waller said that event began as a Memorial Day remembrance, but a second group attending was also protesting Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.

Waller said organizers and participants failed to abide by public health standards and social distance guidelines, which led to their dispersal.

The spike in violence came days after Brown and other city officials announced an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to public safety over the holiday weekend. The CPD would not say last week how many additional officers it planned to deploy, but Brown on Tuesday said it was fewer than the 1,000 or so who have been added on holiday weekends in years past.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday said she spoke with Brown and called the weekend strategy "a fail."

"Whatever the strategy was, it did not work," she said during her own press conference. "We have to do better."

Brown himself has announced a “moon shot” goal of cutting Chicago’s murder rate to below 300 per year. He admitted this was a “challenging” weekend, but said he still believes his goals are possible.

“My resolve hasn’t been shaken at all in making Chicago the safest city in the country, and neither should yours,” he said. “We are committed and dedicated to making this the safest city in the country.”

CHICAGO -- 27 people were killed and at least 65 others were wounded by gun violence in Chicago's most violent weekend (May 30 and 31) of the year so far, which also saw widespread protests, riots and looting throughout the city in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

More than half of the weekend's victims were shot on Sunday as the city reeled from violent protests Saturday night that led to hundreds of arrests and the implementation of a curfew.

The latest fatal shooting happened Sunday night in West Garfield Park on the West Side.

Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert for gunfire found the 18-year-old shot in the right side of her head at 10:51 p.m. in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street, according to Chicago police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Several hours before that, a man was killed and two other people were wounded in Austin on the West Side.

They were standing outside with a group about 8:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Madison Street when someone fired shots, according to police. The 27-year-old man was hit in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital. He was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An 18-year-old woman was also shot three times in the leg and a 21-year man was hit in the foot, police said. Both were taken to Mount Sinai in fair condition.

Another man was killed about half an hour earlier in Burnside on the South Side.

He was driving about 8 p.m. in the 900 block of East 93rd Street when someone in a dark-colored Grand Prix started shooting, police said. The man was hit several times in the head and crashed his vehicle in the same block moments later. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Earlier that evening, one man was killed and another was injured in the Back of the Yards on the South Side.

They were in a vehicle at 6:43 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. A 26-year-old man was hit in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other man, 20, was shot in the leg and taken to the University of Illinois Hospital in fair condition.

Another man was killed more than three hours before that in the same neighborhood.

The 18-year-old was shot in the chest about 3:20 p.m. in the 4500 block of South Ashland Avenue, according to police. He was dropped off at Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A man died after being dropped off at a West Side hospital with a gunshot wound less than an hour earlier.

The 25-year-old was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, 1044 N. Francisco Ave., about 2:40 p.m. with gunshots to the right side of his neck and his upper back, police said. He was pronounced dead. It was not immediately clear where the shooting occurred.

About 50 minutes earlier, another man was found shot to death in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

He was found with multiple gunshot wounds about 1:50 p.m. in an alley in the 3900 block of West Madison Street, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ten minutes before that, two men were killed in Calumet Heights on the South Side.

The men, 39 and 31, were driving about 1:40 p.m. in the 1600 block of East 95th Street when someone in a dark-colored SUV pulled up and opened fire on their vehicle, police said. Both men were shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene.

Earlier Sunday morning, a 37-year-old man was found shot to death in a Marquette Park home on the Southwest Side.

He was found about 10:05 a.m. inside a residence in the 3300 block of West 71st Street, with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.

Nearly five hours before that, another man was killed in Austin.

Someone in a vehicle pulled up beside the 25-year-old man and shot him multiple times about 5:25 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Mason Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 36-year-old man was fatally shot earlier Sunday in Englewood.

Someone in a vehicle pulled up and shot him in the chest and leg about 12:37 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Laflin Street, police said.

The man, identified as Angelo Bronson of Ashburn, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 1:11 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

On Saturday night, a man was shot to death in River North amid downtown protests.

Bernardino Mercado, 26, was walking on the sidewalk with another male about 11 p.m. in the 100 block of West Hubbard Street when he exchanged words with a male suspect in a car, authorities said. The suspect then got out of the car and started hitting the male with a handgun. He then shot Mercado in the chest before continuing to hit the other person with the gun. The suspect eventually got back in the car and drove away.

Mercado, who lived in Avondale on the Northwest Side, was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the medical examiner's office said.

Five other people were injured in downtown shootings during the protests.

Earlier Saturday night, a man was killed in a shooting in Belmont Central on the Northwest Side.

Fernando De Leon, 34, was shot twice in the chest at 9:51 p.m. in the 2300 block of North Meade Avenue, authorities said. De Leon, who lived in Belmont Central, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Less than three hours before that, a 26-year-old man was shot to death in Chicago Lawn on the South Side.

Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert about 7:19 p.m. in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street found him with multiple gunshot wounds, Chicago police said. She was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified her as Noel Dominguez of Berwyn.

Earlier that morning, a man was killed in Austin.

Officers found David L. Green unresponsive about 8:30 a.m. in the 800 block of North Lorel Avenue, with a gunshot wound to the left side of his body, under his arm, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Several hours before that, another man was fatally shot in West Pullman on the Far South Side.

Gregory A. Lewis, 21, was riding in a vehicle at 2:54 a.m. in the 500 block of East 115th Street when someone shot at him from a passing car, authorities said. Lewis, who lived in West Pullman, was hit in the neck and chest and driven to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Minutes earlier, a woman was shot to death in Avalon Park on the South Side.

Danyal P. Jones, 30, was standing on a front porch about 2:50 a.m. in the 8100 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when a male walked up and fired shots, authorities said. Jones, who lived in Gresham, was hit in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The weekend's first homicide left a 23-year-old man dead Friday in Englewood on the South Side.

Deonte Fleming was on the sidewalk about 7:08 p.m. in the 1200 block of West 70th Street when someone in a vehicle shot him in the chest and side, authorities said. Fleming, who lived in Scottsdale on the Southwest Side. was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 7:37 p.m.

The weekend's nonfatal shootings included a person shot while protecting an Avondale liquor store on the Northwest Side Sunday amid widespread looting in the city and suburbs.

The male was protecting the Binny's Beverage Depot about 10:30 p.m. at 3934 W. Diversey Avenue when gunshots rang out, according to police. He was hit in the right arm and taken in good condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Several teenagers were also among the weekend's victims.

A man and a 17-year-old boy were shot Sunday night in Englewood.

They were sitting in a parked vehicle at 10:51 p.m. on Peoria Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. The teen was hit in the left arm and back while the 24-year-old man was shot in the right arm. Both were taken in good condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Saturday night, another 17-year-old boy was wounded in Ravenswood Manor on the Northwest Side.

He was riding in a vehicle about 3:15 a.m. on Montrose Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the arm, police said. The driver took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition.

On Friday evening, another teen was shot in Austin.

About 6:23 p.m., the 17-year-old was on Corcoran Place when someone got out of a blue vehicle and fired shots, police said. The teen was struck in the foot and taken to Rush University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

At least 50 other people were hurt by gun violence across Chicago between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Last weekend, Chicago saw its deadliest Memorial Day weekend in five years with 10 shot dead and 39 others wounded.

Early Monday, the Chicago Police Department announced that it would be delaying the release of its crime statistics from the month of May "in light of recent activity and to ensure we have the most accurate statistics."

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2019.)

Where is the outrage....

Senior Chief wrote:CHICAGO -- 27 people were killed and at least 65 others were wounded by gun violence in Chicago's most violent weekend (May 30 and 31) of the year so far, which also saw widespread protests, riots and looting throughout the city in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

More than half of the weekend's victims were shot on Sunday as the city reeled from violent protests Saturday night that led to hundreds of arrests and the implementation of a curfew.

The latest fatal shooting happened Sunday night in West Garfield Park on the West Side.

Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert for gunfire found the 18-year-old shot in the right side of her head at 10:51 p.m. in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street, according to Chicago police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Several hours before that, a man was killed and two other people were wounded in Austin on the West Side.

They were standing outside with a group about 8:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Madison Street when someone fired shots, according to police. The 27-year-old man was hit in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital. He was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An 18-year-old woman was also shot three times in the leg and a 21-year man was hit in the foot, police said. Both were taken to Mount Sinai in fair condition.

Another man was killed about half an hour earlier in Burnside on the South Side.

He was driving about 8 p.m. in the 900 block of East 93rd Street when someone in a dark-colored Grand Prix started shooting, police said. The man was hit several times in the head and crashed his vehicle in the same block moments later. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Earlier that evening, one man was killed and another was injured in the Back of the Yards on the South Side.

They were in a vehicle at 6:43 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. A 26-year-old man was hit in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other man, 20, was shot in the leg and taken to the University of Illinois Hospital in fair condition.

Another man was killed more than three hours before that in the same neighborhood.

The 18-year-old was shot in the chest about 3:20 p.m. in the 4500 block of South Ashland Avenue, according to police. He was dropped off at Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A man died after being dropped off at a West Side hospital with a gunshot wound less than an hour earlier.

The 25-year-old was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, 1044 N. Francisco Ave., about 2:40 p.m. with gunshots to the right side of his neck and his upper back, police said. He was pronounced dead. It was not immediately clear where the shooting occurred.

About 50 minutes earlier, another man was found shot to death in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

He was found with multiple gunshot wounds about 1:50 p.m. in an alley in the 3900 block of West Madison Street, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ten minutes before that, two men were killed in Calumet Heights on the South Side.

The men, 39 and 31, were driving about 1:40 p.m. in the 1600 block of East 95th Street when someone in a dark-colored SUV pulled up and opened fire on their vehicle, police said. Both men were shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene.

Earlier Sunday morning, a 37-year-old man was found shot to death in a Marquette Park home on the Southwest Side.

He was found about 10:05 a.m. inside a residence in the 3300 block of West 71st Street, with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.

Nearly five hours before that, another man was killed in Austin.

Someone in a vehicle pulled up beside the 25-year-old man and shot him multiple times about 5:25 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Mason Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 36-year-old man was fatally shot earlier Sunday in Englewood.

Someone in a vehicle pulled up and shot him in the chest and leg about 12:37 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Laflin Street, police said.

The man, identified as Angelo Bronson of Ashburn, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 1:11 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

On Saturday night, a man was shot to death in River North amid downtown protests.

Bernardino Mercado, 26, was walking on the sidewalk with another male about 11 p.m. in the 100 block of West Hubbard Street when he exchanged words with a male suspect in a car, authorities said. The suspect then got out of the car and started hitting the male with a handgun. He then shot Mercado in the chest before continuing to hit the other person with the gun. The suspect eventually got back in the car and drove away.

Mercado, who lived in Avondale on the Northwest Side, was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the medical examiner's office said.

Five other people were injured in downtown shootings during the protests.

Earlier Saturday night, a man was killed in a shooting in Belmont Central on the Northwest Side.

Fernando De Leon, 34, was shot twice in the chest at 9:51 p.m. in the 2300 block of North Meade Avenue, authorities said. De Leon, who lived in Belmont Central, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Less than three hours before that, a 26-year-old man was shot to death in Chicago Lawn on the South Side.

Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert about 7:19 p.m. in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street found him with multiple gunshot wounds, Chicago police said. She was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified her as Noel Dominguez of Berwyn.

Earlier that morning, a man was killed in Austin.

Officers found David L. Green unresponsive about 8:30 a.m. in the 800 block of North Lorel Avenue, with a gunshot wound to the left side of his body, under his arm, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Several hours before that, another man was fatally shot in West Pullman on the Far South Side.

Gregory A. Lewis, 21, was riding in a vehicle at 2:54 a.m. in the 500 block of East 115th Street when someone shot at him from a passing car, authorities said. Lewis, who lived in West Pullman, was hit in the neck and chest and driven to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Minutes earlier, a woman was shot to death in Avalon Park on the South Side.

Danyal P. Jones, 30, was standing on a front porch about 2:50 a.m. in the 8100 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when a male walked up and fired shots, authorities said. Jones, who lived in Gresham, was hit in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The weekend's first homicide left a 23-year-old man dead Friday in Englewood on the South Side.

Deonte Fleming was on the sidewalk about 7:08 p.m. in the 1200 block of West 70th Street when someone in a vehicle shot him in the chest and side, authorities said. Fleming, who lived in Scottsdale on the Southwest Side. was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 7:37 p.m.

The weekend's nonfatal shootings included a person shot while protecting an Avondale liquor store on the Northwest Side Sunday amid widespread looting in the city and suburbs.

The male was protecting the Binny's Beverage Depot about 10:30 p.m. at 3934 W. Diversey Avenue when gunshots rang out, according to police. He was hit in the right arm and taken in good condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Several teenagers were also among the weekend's victims.

A man and a 17-year-old boy were shot Sunday night in Englewood.

They were sitting in a parked vehicle at 10:51 p.m. on Peoria Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. The teen was hit in the left arm and back while the 24-year-old man was shot in the right arm. Both were taken in good condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Saturday night, another 17-year-old boy was wounded in Ravenswood Manor on the Northwest Side.

He was riding in a vehicle about 3:15 a.m. on Montrose Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the arm, police said. The driver took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition.

On Friday evening, another teen was shot in Austin.

About 6:23 p.m., the 17-year-old was on Corcoran Place when someone got out of a blue vehicle and fired shots, police said. The teen was struck in the foot and taken to Rush University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

At least 50 other people were hurt by gun violence across Chicago between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Last weekend, Chicago saw its deadliest Memorial Day weekend in five years with 10 shot dead and 39 others wounded.

Early Monday, the Chicago Police Department announced that it would be delaying the release of its crime statistics from the month of May "in light of recent activity and to ensure we have the most accurate statistics."

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2019.)

Where is the outrage....

Hi, Senior Chief... The truth is in answer to your question, my outrage meter is pegged and the needle bent. Too much to be outraged about right now...

Don

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Senior Chief wrote:
Where is the outrage....

Last I checked one segment of the population was extremely outraged over out of control gun violence in the US and wants to do something about it, but is consistently blocked by a certain other segment of the population that loves guns.

I assume your question is directed towards the latter.

gcomeau wrote:

Senior Chief wrote:
Where is the outrage....

Last I checked one segment of the population was extremely outraged over out of control gun violence in the US and wants to do something about it, but is consistently blocked by a certain other segment of the population that loves guns.

I assume your question is directed towards the latter.

If the election goes our way in the fall, I believe there will be common sense measures put forward on gun control.

Don

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gcomeau wrote:

Senior Chief wrote:
Where is the outrage....

Last I checked one segment of the population was extremely outraged over out of control gun violence in the US and wants to do something about it, but is consistently blocked by a certain other segment of the population that loves guns.

I assume your question is directed towards the latter.

For some more detailed information about Chicago homicides:

https://heyjackass.com/home/

Thanks to the Coronavirus, this years charts are not as informative about the abysmally low arrest rates and the absolute predominance of Black offenders. Last years data reveals that 90% of murderers in Chicago are black and barely ten percent are arrested. Rather than acknowledging these realities, the same folks who are rioting, vandalizing, looting and burning are demanding that we expell police from schools, defund police and even disband police.

I'm hoping and praying that the rioting gets so bad that all of the liberal, shit brained mayors and Governors are discredited. Gun control has already died as a political weapon.

n7axw wrote:

gcomeau wrote:
If the election goes our way in the fall, I believe there will be common sense measures put forward on gun control.

Don

-

Not likely. The NRA, and others, have spent the last 40 years forcing constitutional legal precedent away from common sense, and have now managed to stack the Supreme Court.

Legislation wont cut it, not in the short term at least.

Annachie wrote:


Not likely. The NRA, and others, have spent the last 40 years forcing constitutional legal precedent away from common sense, and have now managed to stack the Supreme Court.

Legislation wont cut it, not in the short term at least.

The NRA is weakened for the short term, at least. The Supreme Court has already ruled on the subject of gun control, and although I disagree on its reading of the 2nd Amendment, Scalia in writing the majority opinion did leave room for policies to be implemented for public safely.

Don

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TFLYTSNBN wrote:
I'm hoping and praying that the rioting gets so bad that all of the liberal, shit brained mayors and Governors are discredited. Gun control has already died as a political weapon.

First of all, those "liberal shit brained mayors and governors" are mostly trying to provide governance, sometimes in difficult situations. Get used to us, TFLY. We liberals are here. We are not going away. Oppose us all you like policywise. But otherwise stop caricaturing our point of view. By the time you and your friends get done with what we are saying, it bears no resemblance to the truth.

Given everything else there is to discuss, I doubt that it will play a major role in the election.

By the way, just a reminder, I am your political opponent, not your enemy.

Don

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n7axw wrote:

TFLYTSNBN wrote:
I'm hoping and praying that the rioting gets so bad that all of the liberal, shit brained mayors and Governors are discredited. Gun control has already died as a political weapon.

First of all, those "liberal shit brained mayors and governors" are mostly trying to provide governance, sometimes in difficult situations. Get used to us, TFLY. We liberals are here. We are not going away. Oppose us all you like policywise. But otherwise stop caricaturing our point of view. By the time you and your friends get done with what we are saying, it bears no resemblance to the truth.

Given everything else there is to discuss, I doubt that it will play a major role in the election.

By the way, just a reminder, I am your political opponent, not your enemy.

Don

-

In a very real sense, you and the other shit brained liberals are my enemy. Your mismanagement of most big city police departments and pandering to the one demographic that commits over half the nation's homicides and nearly two-thirds of gun homicides has resulted in cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and Washington DC with mind boggling homicide rates. You then demonize guns, gun owners and the NRA as scapegoats to absolve yourselves of responsibility. Even worse, you exploit the carnage that you created to justify draconian gun control laws and enforcement regimes that are lethal. We went down this path with President Clinton then again with Obama. It appears that we might soon be repeating the process with Biden. The response from gun owners who are profoundly offended by how you are so eagerly pandering to the rioters while exploiting their rioting to demonize and even justify kill us is going to make your worst nightmares come true.