Monday morning Chicago Tribune headlines often read like Syria Times headlines written in English. For example, today’s Chicago Tribune headline screams “35 people shot, 8 fatally, in Chicago over weekend." Indeed, casualties of urban street wars in Chicago, especially during weekends, read like military casualties of a firefight in the outskirts of Damascus.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized
Despite such alarming news over the weekend, there was a 19% decline in shootings last month compared to May of 2016. However, the news should come as little solace since June 2017 has started off with a spike in shootings and related deaths.
Mayor rahm emanuel, a former top aide to Barack Obama, has done little to stem the tide of killings in his city and is being roundly criticized for the escalation of violence under his watch. Despite a small decline from May 2016, violence has raged -- especially in South Chicago neighborhoods -- throughout 2017 as compared to earlier years. Despite fewer shootings in May, just as many people have died from Gun Violence as in May 2016. Ironically, Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation.
Latest killings follow violent Memorial Day
There were 252 shootings reported last month, compared to 311 shootings in May 2016, including 52 fatalities. Overall, Chicago recorded 762 homicides in 2016, up 57 percent from 2015.
Authorities, hoping June might mark a change for the better, are taken aback after the jump in gun violence during the first weekend of June. The killings follow last month’s violent end that saw 49 people shot over Memorial Day weekend. Five people died in the Memorial Day melee between Friday evening and Monday night. During last year’s Memorial Day celebration seven Chicagoans were killed and 61 injured.
President Donald Trump said earlier this year he would be compelled to "send in the feds" if the city doesn't do more to protect its citizens from shootings. Trump has called the killings a "horrible carnage" and claims Emanuel's soft spoken protests of the situation aren't making a difference.
Chicago leads nation in population decline
Chicago led the nation last year in declining population. According to Tribune reports, the Chicago metropolitan area saw a net loss of 19,570 residents in 2016. It is the second year in a row that Chicago has declined in population which marks the largest loss in population of any metropolitan area in America. Chicago's population declined by 11,324 people in 2015, which is partly attributed to street violence.
