Posted on 04/21/2014 8:45:24 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said a bloody holiday weekend that saw at least nine people shot and killed and dozens others wounded doesnt wipe out reductions in violent crime in the past two years.
Since Friday evening, at least nine people were shot and killed in Chicago, and at least 36 others were wounded. This doesnt wipe out what has happened over the last two years, and this is a conversation that weve had time and time again, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said Monday morning. Theres no magic formula here. We have a plan, we have a strategy, and its hard work. Thats what it is. Its a day-by-day, minute-by-minute grind, and were into busy season. Thats what it is.
Although murders in Chicago spiked to 516 in 2012 only the second time homicides surpassed 500 since 2003 they dropped to 415 last year, the lowest murder total for Chicago in nearly 50 years.
The superintendent said the vast majority of shootings in Chicago are gang-related, and detectives were working to determine which of the hot conflicts were to blame for the most recent spate of violence.
Among those killed were two men who were slain Sunday afternoon in the South Lawndale neighborhood. The victims were sitting in a Lincoln Navigator near the corner of 28th Street and Sawyer Avenue around 1 p.m., when an orange Hummer blocked their path. Two people wearing masks and armed with guns exited the Hummer, and sprayed the Navigator with nearly a dozen bullets, right near a police blue light camera.
Two men 32-year-old Juan Ocon, and 19-year-old Timmy Bermudez were shot and killed.
The Hummer fled south on Sawyer Avenue after the shooting. The Navigator also drove off, but was found a short time later at the corner of 24th Street and Kedzie Avenue, police said. Ocon was pronounced dead at the scene. Bermudez died less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital. Earlier Sunday, a married couple, both law enforcement officers, were killed in an apparent murder-suicide at their home on the Southwest Side. Authorities said Cook County corrections Officer Javier Acevedo, 50, shot and killed his wife, 49-year-old Chicago police officer Veronica Acevedo, at their home in the 5300 block of South Austin Avenue.
Veronica Acevedo was an 18-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, and had won 23 commendations during her career. Javier Acevedo was a 25-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriffs Department.
Also killed over the weekend were two teens found dead around 10:30 a.m. Saturday in an apartment building in the 8200 block of South Houston Avenue. Jordan Means, 16, and Anthony Bankhead, 18, both had been shot in the head. Means mother said the boys were killed over a dispute that played out on Facebook.
An argument led to this, thats crazy, said Camille Cochran, 42. Now, I dont have my son no more. The other victims of fatal shootings over the weekend included 43-year-old Darren Rey, who was killed Saturday morning in an alley in the 2900 block of West Flournoy; 19-year-old Nicholas Ramirez, who was killed early Saturday in the 1600 block of West Hubbard Street, after someone in another vehicle shot him during a chase; and 20-year-old Trevolous Pickett, who was killed Friday night in a gangway in the 5200 block of West Congress Parkway.
It was the second weekend in a row at least 36 people were shot in Chicago. Asked how a spike in gun violence affects his departments approach to fighting violent crime, McCarthy said we can do things to improve whats happening, but until such time as we get some help with the gun laws in the state of Illinois, were up against it. Were drinking from a firehose.
McCarthy repeatedly has urged state lawmakers to enact mandatory minimum sentences for repeat gun offenders. He has said lax state and federal gun laws hamper the departments ability to reduce gun violence, by allowing repeat offenders to stay on the streets.
Last year, the Emanuel administration backed a proposal to raise the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon from one to three years, and require offenders to serve 85 percent of their sentences a truth in sentencing provision.
In November, sponsors removed language that would impose the new mandatory minimum on first-time offenders, but the measure was sent back to committee in December, and has yet to move forward since.
Same old, same old ...
At least give Chicago credit for consistency, because every weekend, without fail, is a predictable shooting spree ....
almost as predictable as The Media’s non-coverage and non-interest
just some guys that live in obamas neighborhood
Must be those new guys with concealed carry permits going all “Wild West” at traffic fender-benders.
Yup. The ‘Hood is reaping what Obama organized.
Why's that?
Oh. Right. These deaths will be categorized as "of indeterminate cause."
We are into busy season?
They said this would happen if the Supreme Court decided for McDonald, and it did.
I wonder if any of those guns were legally owned?
Maybe the ones the cops had.
Well, yeah, but it does close the gap.
Man. Talk about polishing a turd.
Ahhhh, Spring has arrived in Chicago!!
I knew this was Chicago before I saw the word Chicago in the SECOND paragraph.
Are you too stupid to own a gun? ...End Gun Idiocy!
We don't even have the numbers for Detroit, LA, Baltimore and Philly.
If Tea Party members killed this many people Homeland Insecurity would be pulling out all the stops.
Even at 400-whatever, Chicago is still double the murders in New York, and Chicago has only half of NYC’s population ....
... of course, now that Bill deBlasio and his kooky soft-on-crime policies are taking over NYC, we may now be seeing a real competition developing
Glad Chicago is GUN FREE!
I know that when I shoot, the entire cartridge comes a flyin’ outta the barrel - jes like dat! /s
‘REDUCTIONS IN CRIME’? ROTFLMAO
Is that the new term for ‘fudging the numbers’?
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