Officials Deliver Candid Speech After July 4 – NBC Chicago

After a July 4 holiday weekend in which more than 100 people were shot and killed in Chicago, the city’s police chief and mayor offered a frank response, sharing new information about the startling numbers being reported.

“When this senseless violence ravages our city on this scale, we lose a piece of the soul of Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters. “It pains me to admit it, but it’s true.”

The violence that erupted on Thursday, July 4, continued through the holiday weekend, leaving at least 19 dead and dozens injured in four days.

“These are 19 families whose lives have been changed forever,” Johnson said. “And 19 families woke up this morning without a son, without a daughter, without a mother, without a father, without an aunt, without an uncle. Over 100 people whose lives will never be the same, whose next chapter in life is recovery and healing from this violence. These 100 people are members of families and communities.”

Last Friday, the toll of shootings — six people killed on Thursday and 62 on Friday, or 12 deaths over the two days — exceeded that of the entire holiday weekend last year. Last year, 11 people were killed and 62 injured over the four-day holiday weekend, from July 1 to July 4.

After a violent July 4th weekend in Chicago, CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson discuss public safety measures.

The violence has prompted calls for action from city leaders, including Cardinal Blase Cupich.

“This year, we have seen horrific violence in Chicago: over 100 people have been shot, 19 people have lost their lives, and countless families and friends of those victims are left wondering, praying, and angry,” Cupich said in a statement. “As I said last year, we are facing an epidemic of gun violence in America and it is time for us to do something about it. The fond memories of those tragically killed by gun violence will live on forever, but so will the trauma of losing loved ones.”

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling acknowledged the challenges of policing during the holiday with large gatherings.

“What you have to understand is that when we look at this type of violence, we’re looking at holidays of the year – the Fourth of July and other similar days – when groups come together, large groups. And sometimes this violence starts out as petty arguments. People who have been together all day get together in groups, they’ve been drinking, tempers flare, and people decide to express their differences through violence, particularly gun violence.”

The nonprofit Operation Neighborhood Safety echoed those sentiments in a recent interview with NBC Chicago. Its members said organized gangs are now splintered and factionalized and are more violent than ever. Former Chicago police officer Matt Brandon said the old-fashioned street gangs no longer exist.

“Right now, a gang can be a group of people who don’t like another group of people,” he said.

Violence, Brandon warns, is often the result of threats and taunts made on social media.

This year, there were four incidents of violence during the holiday season. A total of 24 people were shot and injured, four of them fatally.

On July 4, in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, two adults and a child were killed and two other young children were seriously injured when several people stopped in front of a residence and began shooting into a house.

According to Don Jerome, deputy chief of Zone 1, the shooting was caused by a “personal dispute.” All of the victims were likely inside the residence at the time of the shooting, Jerome said.

“What we really need to think about is the audacity and the behavior of those who can walk into a home, see children and women and open fire on them,” Snelling said. “It’s unbelievable to think that as a human being you can walk in and do something like that. That you can see a child and open fire.”

Authorities have appealed to anyone who may have information about the gunmen responsible for the shootings to come forward.

“People need to start coming forward. People need to take responsibility. Help us help you,” Snelling said. “We want to get these people off the streets. Our detective division, our police officers, our specialized units are working around the clock. They’re sick, they’re not sleeping, just trying to bring some level of justice to this case.”

Snelling called the weekend violence more than just a “police issue.”

“This is a societal issue. The police can’t be in everybody’s backyard. They can’t be in everybody’s house. They can’t invade every gathering where there’s a possibility that somebody could show up with a gun,” he said. “Everything we do as a police department is based on reasonable suspicion to investigate or probable cause to arrest. So we have to consider everybody’s responsibility in that. When people gather, we have to make it clear to them that they can celebrate, but they have to do it in a safe and responsible way. That being said, we know that somebody committed a crime.”

Johnson noted that in June he called for federal help to address ongoing violence in the city.

“Last month, I called on our federal partners to respond to the mass shootings in the city of Chicago and asked them to respond to mass shootings, as we experienced in Chicago, just as they do in other places across this country. And I hope that our ongoing discussions will ensure that our state partners as well as our federal partners will quickly come to the aid of the city of Chicago,” Johnson said. “The city can no longer afford to wait. The full force of government is being mobilized to stop the violence. And we need more support.”

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson provided a joint update Monday morning after at least 19 people were killed and at least 87 injured in shootings across the city over the July 4th long weekend.

Those resources, Johnson said, include things like “victim support services,” such as community violence intervention, and “more people on the ground” working to keep illegal guns out of the wrong hands.

“Remember the mass shooting that happened in Highland Park and all the services they get? That’s what we’re asking for,” Johnson said. “That’s what other suburbs across the country get when mass shootings happen like this. We’re just saying Chicago deserves that, too.”

Johnson, however, stopped short of saying the city’s summer security plan was inadequate, saying instead that it was a sign that “we need to redouble our efforts.”

“I can tell you what doesn’t work. We all know what doesn’t work in this room: closing schools, closing public housing, raising pensions, not balancing budgets. We know it doesn’t work. It’s all been tried before and it’s failed. And what I’m saying is, yes, we have to hold people accountable and I have confidence in our police department, our superintendent, our detectives are working overtime. That’s why I committed to hiring 200. We’re almost there in my first term. So we have to solve crimes and our detective division has stepped up and they’re doing it, but it’s not just about the police. Look, it’s not enough for me to stand here and say homicides are down and shootings are… You’re talking about a plan that we presented in May, over a two-month period. We can’t give up on the city of Chicago that easily, we just can’t.”

As the holiday weekend violence remains top of mind, many city residents are also thinking ahead to the upcoming Democratic National Convention, with some wondering whether the city is prepared for such a massive event.

“We’ve had more protests here this year than I can remember since 2012 when we had the NATO event here. Our officers have responded very well. We haven’t had any violent clashes with our protesters. We’ve had some skirmishes, but nothing that’s made national headlines,” Snelling said. “We communicate, our officers are properly trained to handle those types of situations. That being said, we have officers who train specifically for that. Well, we’re looking at a total of 48 hours of training for officers to specifically handle large protests and the potential for civil unrest. We hope that doesn’t happen… Now, in conjunction with that, we’re working on a neighborhood plan to make sure that we’re not pulling resources away from keeping our neighborhoods safe.”