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Chicago police said more than 50 people were killed, eight dead, during armed violence over the weekend. Two people were stabbed to death, bringing the total number of homicides to 10 (June 3).
AP, AP

Highlights of history

  • Chicago had its most violent weekend of 2019, with 52 shootings and 10 deaths.
  • Most of the shots were linked to a gang, the police said.

While the homicide rate was near historic lows, the Chicago police chief on Monday denounced a "level of abject violence" over the weekend. 52 people were shot dead, eight dead, and two people were stabbed to death.

The country's third largest city is one of the few to have fought against gun violence in recent years, but is still on the verge of reducing its homicide rate for the third year in a row. The shootings over the weekend took place in one of the city's hottest since the beginning of the year, according to the conditions in which the city tends to witness an increase in violence.

Police responded to incidents between 18:00 and 18:00. Friday until midnight Sunday by increasing the number of uniformed officers in the street, said Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

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Johnson said the police had seized 92 illegal firearms, nearly double the number of seizures by the department during a typical weekend in hot weather. In the coming weeks, Chicago police have announced that more patrol boats will be stationed in popular areas with tourists and residents.

Some disagree with this approach as the ministry has been criticized for its use of force against Black and Latin American communities. Earlier this year, the police department agreed to undertake dozens of reforms after the state attorney general sued the agency, alleging that its record of civil rights violations was troubling.

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The ministry has paid more than $ 700 million since 2010 for settlements and legal fees for prosecuting allegations of police brutality.

The violence in Chicago also disproportionately affects several low-income black and Latino neighborhoods on the west and south sides.

Homicides in Chicago climbed to more than 770 three years ago, but have since fallen – to 660 in 2017 and 561 last year.

On Monday, Johnson criticized the gun laws and court policies that he says make the county jail a revolving door for the perpetrators.

"Until we stop giving armed offenders the feeling that they can do it with impunity, we will continue to hold these press conferences," he said.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY & # 39; HUI

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