CHICAGO — A shooting at a block party in Detroit left two people dead and more than a dozen wounded, capping a violent holiday weekend in the U.S. that also saw mass shootings in Kentucky and Chicago.
More than 100 people were shot in Chicago, 19 of them fatally, over the long Independence Day weekend, when there is often a spike in violence. One mass shooting Thursday in a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, left two women and an 8-year-old boy dead. Two other children were also critically injured.
“We cannot take our eyes off the ball,” Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a Monday news conference. “We cannot stop thinking about the people who have been victimized by this crime.”
City officials announced plans for an emergency resource center to open Monday evening for people struggling with trauma, while Mayor Brandon Johnson blamed the pervasive violence on years of disinvestment and poverty, particularly in the city’s Black neighborhoods. Johnson, who took office last year, said Chicago has not received enough federal resources for victims and that he recently renewed a request for help.
The four-day weekend in Chicago saw a spike in violence compared with the same time period last year when 11 people were killed and more than 60 wounded.
“We are losing a piece of the soul of Chicago,” Johnson said at the news conference. “We will not let criminal activity ruin and harm our city.”
In Detroit, two people were fatally shot and at least 19 were injured at a block party on the city’s east side early Sunday, according to authorities. Detroit police planned a news conference Monday to announce new safety strategies for block parties.
Shootings during the holiday weekend also took place in California and Kentucky, where police say four people were killed and three others wounded in an early morning shooting during a party at a home. The shooting suspect later died after fleeing the home in Florence, Kentucky, and driving into a ditch during a police chase, authorities said. Florence is a city of about 36,000 people located about 12 miles (19 kilometers) south of Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Callahan reported from Indianapolis.
Over the holiday weekend, multiple mass shootings were reported in Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky, leaving communities devastated and authorities scrambling to find answers.
In Michigan, a shooting at a party in Detroit left three people dead and five others injured. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, with witnesses reporting chaos and confusion as shots rang out. Police are still investigating the motive behind the shooting and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
In Illinois, a shooting at a shopping mall in Chicago left two people dead and several others injured. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, with shoppers running for cover as gunshots echoed through the mall. Authorities have not yet released information on the suspect or suspects involved in the shooting.
In Kentucky, a shooting at a music festival in Louisville left one person dead and several others injured. The incident occurred on Sunday evening, with concertgoers fleeing in panic as shots were fired. Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and are asking for the public’s help in identifying the shooter.
These tragic events highlight the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States and the need for stricter gun control measures. As communities mourn the loss of loved ones and grapple with the aftermath of these senseless acts of violence, it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent future tragedies.
Authorities are urging anyone with information on these shootings to come forward and help bring those responsible to justice. In the meantime, communities are coming together to support one another and work towards healing in the wake of these devastating events.
