As the Father’s Day weekend in Chicago came to an end, another tragedy left two individuals dead and 33 wounded in three separate mass shootings.
The most fatal incident occurred at a Juneteenth gathering in the suburban area of Willowbrook, DuPage County, when some unknown assailants fired into the crowd. The shootings resulted in one death and 22 injuries, while some were injured in an attempt to flee from the gunfire.
Another shooting began at around 4:40 a.m. Saturday near the city’s popular Lincoln Park Zoo, injuring five people, four of whom were reported in critical condition. The youngest of the wounded was a 17-year-old girl, in fair condition. It is believed the shooting was the result of some disagreement.
The final incident happened on Sunday night in Smith Park, Roseland neighbourhood, where a grey Honda sedan pulled up and started shooting. This left one 37-year-old dead and four others injured due to the gunfire.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has stated he is ‘closely observing’ what transpired over the weekend and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed the public of President Joe Biden offering assistance. There have been no arrests or charges pressed as of the morning of Monday.
The mass shootings have reignited the debate over gun violence in Chicago, which continues to haunt the city. Public outcry has followed the tragic events and high profile figures are now being called to implement measures to alleviate the situation and spare the city similar distress in the future.