Father’s Day weekend has been a violent one in Chicago, with 60 people shot, including nine fatally.
Among those shot and killed are four minors, including a 3-year-old.
The toddler, identified as Mekay James, was struck by a bullet in the back when a gunman opened fire on James’s father while they were driving at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday night, Chicago police said. A bullet also struck his father, but he survived.
“Our city’s collective heart breaks. … There are simply no words to describe such a heinous, unconscionable act of cowardice to shoot at a toddler,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted about James’s death.
Our city’s collective heart breaks to hear the unfathomable news of a 3-year-old boy who was shot and killed tonight on Chicago’s West Side. There are simply no words to describe such a heinous, unconscionable act of cowardice to shoot at a toddler.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 21, 2020
Chicago police have reported a spike in murders and shootings this year compared with 2019. Shootings increased by 71% in May compared with the year before, with 409 people shot. Murders were up 60%, with 85 reported.
An uptick in violence has also been seen in New York City in recent weeks, following protests and riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Law enforcement sources told the New York Post earlier in June that murders and shootings were much higher than what took place in the same period last year. There were 13 murders between June 1-7, with 40 reported shootings. There were five murders and 24 shootings during the same time period in 2019.
This weekend, there were at least 19 people injured in more than a dozen shootings that took place in 24 hours in New York City.
“This is extremely alarming and concerning during a time where we are really pushing to end violence in our city and our communities, to have 19 people shot, 13 shootings is something we need [to] take extremely seriously,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said of the New York shootings.
