The city of Chicago has seen a spike in gun violence since the Fourth of July holiday weekend began, with dozens of people shot and five fatalities.
More than 1,500 police officers were scheduled to work overtime in the Windy City over the weekend, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Chicago typically sees a large increase in shootings and violence on and around Independence Day, with the staccato of gunfire sometimes accompanying the blasts of fireworks.
During this year’s fireworks display at the famed Navy Pier, chaos erupted when three people were stabbed and led to a stampede that injured more than a dozen others. Around 3 a.m. Friday, a 22-year-old woman was approached by a man who proceeded to fatally shoot her in the head. Just 10 minutes earlier, another person was killed in a double shooting.
Five people were injured in a single shooting around 2 a.m. Friday, including several teenagers.
Chicago has a long history of gun violence, much of it gang-related. A record 52 people were shot last weekend, with 10 people killed.
