CHICAGO (WLS) — Forty-six people have been shot, nine dead, in shootings across the city over the weekend, police said.
One of the victims of the shooting was Terry’a Adams. She was one of seven people shot during a gathering Saturday night in the Austin neighborhood for her boyfriend, who was killed in a car crash.
A vigil was held in his honor on Monday evening. Those who loved Terry remembered her for her kindness.
“He loved being around everybody. He’s a people person,” said Pinkie McBride, Adams’ mother. “Terry’a had love for everybody. She was always like a peacemaker, a peacemaker.”
Surveillance video shows the moment gunfire erupted in Iowa, near Cicero, as dozens of people ran for their lives.
“All the kids said they were out there dancing, singing, having a good time and all they heard were gunshots,” McBride said. They haven’t seen anyone. They just heard shots. That’s it, so everyone runs. Everyone runs.”
Among them was the alleged gunman, dressed in jeans and a white top as he opened fire before fleeing.
“I want to say to the new mayor, we voted for you. You said you would stand up to guns. I need you to step up,” McBride said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson doesn’t live far from where the shooting happened. At Monday’s graduation ceremony, he pledged to work with the Chicago Police Department to make the city safer while welcoming 260 new recruits to the force.
Mayor Johnson addresses violent weekend after CPD graduation
Johnson praised the new officers for their commitment to making the city a safer place, but after this violent weekend, it looks like the public safety plan will continue to evolve. For the 261 new police recruits, most of whom have been on the streets for a few months, next summer is a challenge they are ready to take on.
Recruit Julyssa Grijalva celebrated with her family and her younger brother, Anthony, who is already in the force.
“There’s a lot of people there that are good people. So that helps, and everybody’s just willing to give me information, so I can be a better officer. So every situation, you have to go at it differently. Grijalva said.
This was Johnson’s first police graduation ceremony. He thanked the new officers for answering the call to make Chicago safer.
“Your path has brought you here today. You have demonstrated your commitment to the principles of justice and equity and to the protection of our communities. This is the soul of Chicago,” Johnson said.
The police also marked the previous promotions of 84 detectives. Johnson campaigned to promote 200 more as soon as possible to help reduce violence by solving more crimes.
“I will stand behind making sure the city we all love gets everything it deserves,” Johnson said.
But on Monday, he offered only a vague response to the weekend’s violence.
“The City of Chicago is aligning itself with what works. This is a complementary approach to building a better, stronger and safer Chicago,” Johnson said. “What you’re going to see over time is a more sophisticated and sharper response to what public safety should look like.”
Johnson made it clear that he is committed to a citywide, complementary approach to preventing violent crime.
“Over these past three weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to work with various stakeholders to continue to administer a plan that will build the kind of trust we’ll need to create a better, stronger and safer Chicago,” Johnson said.
Sup. interim CPD Fred Waller also addressed the weekend violence on Monday.
Waller began his own news conference by expressing condolences to the victims and their families of the recent violence, and acknowledged that the summer has begun with a challenge. He added that CPD is moving real-time resources to different blocks based on data from recent weekends.
“It’s very frustrating, because all the officers have been working hard, but sometimes we’re being overwhelmed by the gun violence and the type of weapons they’re using,” Waller said.
Waller said the city is working on short-term and long-term solutions. Large gatherings, like the one in Austin, pose a challenge for police.
“Sometimes people say they’re being harassed by the police. We have to have a balance, we can go in and try to talk to people, find out if it’s a potential gathering where violence could occur,” Waller said.
But Waller added that violence can happen at any time. Next summer requires a steep learning curve for new recruits.
“I mean, I have to be ready. We have to be ready. But, I’m looking forward to the summer. I just need the best,” said Grijalva.
Johnson promised that over time, what Chicagoans will see is a more sophisticated public safety response. But he also chided critics, saying that if they don’t live in Chicago and have no skin in the game, they have no right to talk about it.
Sunday shootings
On Sunday morning, one man was shot and killed and another was wounded downtown, police said. A 34-year-old man was found about 1:20 a.m. in the 300 block of East Huron Street with multiple gunshot wounds, Chicago police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died. Another man, 27, later presented at the same hospital with a gunshot wound to his left leg, police said. His condition was not known. The circumstances of the shooting were unknown. No one was in custody.
Hours later, another man was shot and killed and a woman was wounded in Little Italy. They were outside about 4:20 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Throop Street when someone fired shots, Chicago police said. The 30-year-old man was shot in the head. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. The 31-year-old woman was shot in the left arm and drove herself to University of Illinois Hospital, where she was listed in good condition, police said. No other information was known. Detectives are investigating.
Saturday shootings
A man was fatally shot Saturday night outside a home in Chatham. Officers responding to a report of a person shot found the 40-year-old man lying on a porch about 11:30 p.m. in the 8300 block of South Ingleside Avenue, Chicago police said . He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died, police said. No one was in custody.
More than an hour earlier, one man was killed and another was injured in a shooting in Humboldt Park. Officers responding to a shots fired call about 10 p.m. found a 19-year-old man lying in the 3800 block of West Ohio Street with a gunshot wound to the chest, Chicago police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died. Another man, in his 20s, was found nearby with a gunshot wound to the arm and a wound to the face, police said. He was taken to the same hospital, where he was in good condition. No arrests were reported.
One man was killed and another was injured in a shooting Saturday morning in Englewood on the South Side. Just before noon, the 70-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were hit by gunfire in the 7100 block of South Peoria Street, according to Chicago police. The older man was shot in the chest and rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The younger man was hit in the hand and was taken to the same hospital, where he was listed in good condition, police said. No one was in custody.
Hours earlier, a 31-year-old man was fatally shot in the city’s South Shore neighborhood. It happened around 6:48 a.m. in the 1700-bock of West 69th Street. The man was shot in the chest and left leg, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Hospital where he was pronounced dead. It is not yet known what led to the shooting. Area 1 detectives are investigating.
Just under three hours earlier, a 32-year-old man was shot and killed in North Lawndale. According to police, the victim was inside an apartment in the 1200 block of South Springfield around 4:06 a.m. when someone he knew started shooting. The man was shot several times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died. No one is under arrest.
About two hours before that, a 23-year-old man was fatally shot while sitting in his car in the 4800 block of West Rice Street in the Austin neighborhood. Police said someone shot and hit him several times. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital. No arrests have been made.
In the non-fatal shootings, a 16-year-old boy was among two people injured in a shooting in the South Shore neighborhood Saturday morning. Around 11:55 a.m., the boy and a 28-year-old man were outside in the 2000 block of East 71st Street when someone driving by in a dark-colored sedan opened fire and hit them both, Chicago police said. The boy was shot in the right leg and was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was in good condition, police said. The man was shot in the right arm and abdomen and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition, authorities said. No one was in custody.
Friday shootings
A teenage girl was injured in a shooting in Austin Friday evening, police said. The 16-year-old girl was standing on a sidewalk in the 400 block of North Parkside Avenue when someone shot her shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to Chicago police. She was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was listed in good condition with a gunshot wound to the buttocks. No arrests have been made and detectives are investigating.
Two people are recovering after being shot in a car with children inside, according to Chicago police. It happened Friday evening around 6:10 pm in the 600 block of West 71st Street in the city’s Englewood neighborhood. Police said the victims were in a car when someone in another vehicle pulled up next to them opened fire. A 27-year-old man was shot in the back and taken to the University of Chicago Hospital in good condition. A 32-year-old woman was shot in the right leg and taken to the University of Chicago Hospital in good condition. Two children of unknown age were also in the vehicle but were not injured. Both were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital for observation, according to police. Area 1 detectives are investigating.
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The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
