CHICAGO, IL – The city of Chicago experienced a tumultuous Fourth of July, with a surge in violence resulting in at least eleven fatalities and more than 50 injuries from various shootings across the city.
One of the most severe incidents occurred in the Little Italy neighborhood, where eight individuals were shot overnight. Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Abla Homes Housing Complex on the 1300 block of West Hastings around 1:44 a.m. Authorities revealed that a confrontation between two people led to the shooting, with the victims ranging in age from 18 to 74. Thankfully, all are expected to survive.
Shortly before 2 a.m., another shooting on the West Side left six people injured on the 100 block of South Menard. The victims included two women, aged 18 and 20, a 15-year-old boy, and three men between 23 and 25 years old. They were transported to various hospitals and are expected to recover.
Tragedy struck later that morning when a man and a woman were discovered shot to death in the 3400 block of East 87th Street. Details surrounding their deaths remain scarce as police continue their investigation.
In another incident, a 43-year-old man was fatally shot multiple times around 2 a.m. on the 1200 block of West Washburne. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old girl was critically injured in a separate shooting on the 1200 block of South Central Park around 1:40 a.m. after being found with a gunshot wound to the head.
The violence continued with a 34-year-old man being shot around 1 a.m. on the 6200 block of South Laflin. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Additionally, a 59-year-old woman was killed, and two other women were injured in a shooting on the 900 block of North LeClaire just before midnight.
Further incidents included a 35-year-old man shot and killed during an argument on the 6000 block of South Winchester Avenue, and a 30-year-old man who was fatally shot while standing in a crowd on the 8400 block of South Kerfoot Avenue around 11 p.m. on Thursday.
The early hours of July Fourth also saw the tragic deaths of two women and a child in the Grand Crossing neighborhood. Nakeeshia Strong, 46, her cousin Caprice Edwards, 24, and an 8-year-old boy were killed when gunmen fired into a home on the 7100 block of South Woodlawn Avenue. Two other children, aged 5 and 7, remain in critical condition. Family members revealed that Edwards died protecting her 1-year-old child from the gunfire.
This wave of violence is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges Chicago faces. Last year, during the Fourth of July weekend, 57 people were shot, eight of whom died, according to police data.