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Under Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first week in office, 23 people in Chicago were shot in three days, one fatally, in a weekend of gun violence.
The city of Chicago continues to have a reputation for being lawless, as unsuspecting people are randomly shot due to the high rate of gun violence.
Last week, beginning Friday, May 19, and ending Sunday, May 21, the lives of 23 young adults were either forever changed or at least scarred by gun violence in Chicago, and the weekend before, 26 lives were affected.
Johnson, the 57th and current mayor of Chicago, was elected in April 2023 and previously served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 2018 to 2023, representing the 1st Ward.
The progressive-leaning mayor won over voters with his proposed measures to implement a number of policies to address gun violence, including investing in violence prevention programs, increasing the number of police officers on the streets, and working to reduce the availability of guns.
Although Chicago gun violence has been a longstanding issue in the city, the staggering 23 gun victims highlight the challenge Johnson must face if he does not want to have a one-term mayoral run like his predecessor, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who some have criticized for being soft on gun crime.
ABC Chicago broke down how each shooting victim met their demise, many of which are still being investigated by the Chicago Police Department, specifically Area One detectives.
On Sunday, May 21, a 30-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were shot while driving at 3:20 a.m. The incident is still being investigated by three detectives. Later that day, a 17-year-old girl was shot in the lower back at 7 p.m. The minor’s case is also under investigation. All three victims are reported to be in good condition.
Sunday is considered tame compared to Saturday, May 20.
A 22-year-old man who was driving 15 minutes after midnight was shot in the leg and had to drive himself to the local hospital. He is in good condition, but none of the suspects he saw before he was shot are in custody and detectives are investigating.
Another driver, a male victim, was shot twice in the right side of his cheek around 1 a.m. He survived and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. Again, no one is in custody and Chicago detectives are investigating.
Before 1:30 a.m., two men, a 42-year-old and a 43-year-old, and a woman were shot, the young man was shot in the left buttocks and taken to U of C Hospital in good condition, and the older gentleman was shot in the hands and also taken to U of C and is in good condition. Authorities are still investigating the matter and no one has been arrested.
At about 2:20 a.m., two separate incidents occurred in which a 17-year-old boy was shot. One was in the back seat of a car when he was shot in the left side of his head. The second boy was shot while walking on the sidewalk. The surviving boy is in fair condition. In both cases, no one involved in the shootings is in custody, and One Area detectives are investigating.
However, police said a male suspect wearing a white hoodie sweatshirt was seen shooting the teen in the chest and abdomen.
The list of victims over the weekend continues and is covered in detail on ABC Chicago.
In 2022, there have been more than 700 homicides in the city and more than 3,000 people have been shot. The vast majority of these shootings are concentrated in a few high-crime areas, and many of the victims are young people.
As of May 23, 2023, there have been 211 homicides in Chicago, The Chicago Tribune reported. This is a decrease of 10 percent from the same time period in 2022. There have also been 641 shootings, which is a decrease of 13 percent from last year.