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By Erik Ortiz
At least 52 people were shot dead and 10 killed during Chicago's most violent weekend so far this year, resulting in Monday Superintendent of Police, Eddie Johnson, to report this rise "of 39, an abominable level of violence ".
At a press conference, Johnson described how the police were just a few steps from the shooting – a commander of the Austin neighborhood was only half a block away of house – and how "emboldened some of these individuals" opened fire.
Police attributed the majority of gun violence to gangs and Johnson ordered targeted patrols in areas likely to be retaliated, including the West Side and South Side districts.
In total, 92 firearms have been seized since Friday, he added, "almost double the number of firearms we receive over a given weekend."
At least 19 arrests were made for gunmen. Starting Monday morning, the police did not make any arrests related to the killings, which included two stab wounds inflicted on the criminal home, although Johnson stated that there was "very good reason to believe "that arrests were imminent.
Much of the violence occurred during the first 12 hours of the weekend and continued Monday morning, police said.
Four men were shot dead near the campus of Northwestern University on the north side during two separate incidents Saturday. At the first shot, two of the victims heard gunshots and saw several cars flee the scene after being hit. In the other, two men were shot while driving an ambulance.
In another Saturday night incident, four people in the south end of Austin were hit by shots fired from across the street. Three of the victims were teenagers and one of them was in critical condition.
Many shots were fired in the streets while people were standing around the corner or sitting in front of their house or driving when an assailant suddenly opened fire.
The bloody weekend eclipses the Memorial Day weekend, when at least 33 people were injured and seven killed, reported NBC Chicago.
Chicago, the third largest city in the country, is struggling to reduce gun violence, but has seen some improvement since 2018 and in previous years.
In the first five months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, shootings dropped by 13%, the number of fatalities by 10% bullet and homicides decreased by 7%, according to police statistics on criminality.
Police have generally acknowledged that more than 1,000 new officers have been added to the street in recent years, as well as the use of gun detection and predictive analytics technology to help ward off such crimes.
But as the summer approached, Johnson said he feared that the "proliferation of firearms on the streets of Chicago" would lead to more violence and that he was not going to be killed. he was categorical: the perpetrators must be held responsible.
"We continue to stop them again and again," he added. "It's a vicious circle."
Office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, elected in April, did not have an immediate comment after Johnson's press conference.
Johnson said the community members were cooperating with the police and that they were essential to gain information about the criminals.
"Everyone must intervene to stop the wave of violence in this city," he said.
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