At least 100 people shot, 17 fatally, during violent Fourth of July weekend in Chicago – up 27% from last year’s holiday
From July 3 at 6 p.m. CT through July 7 at 6 a.m. CT, at least 100 people were struck by gunfire and 17 of them died from their wounds, according to the Chicago Police Major Incident Notifications system. Another two people were shot later on July 7, according to police.
The tally of Independence Day weekend gun violence in Chicago this year marks around a 27% increase in shootings over last year: In 2023, the Chicago Sun-Times reported at least 73 people were shot during the four-day weekend, including 11 who died.
On Friday, after dozens of people had already been shot in the city, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement addressing the violence.
“We are devastated by the recent violence that has left our city in a state of grief and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities impacted by these recent events,” Johnson said in the statement. “The City of Chicago is committed to ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors.”
The city had canceled time off for police officers to “maximize presence and ensure prompt incident response,” activated an emergency services assistance center to provide support to people in the community and would hold a community rally Friday afternoon to “promote bonding, support, and healing,” according to Johnson.
But the efforts did not end the shootings.
One of those killed over the weekend was an 8-year-old-boy who was shot alongside two other boys, ages 5 and 8, according to the Chicago Police Department’s online records.
Several 15- to 16-year-olds were also among those shot over the weekend, police say.
In another instance, eight people between the ages of 18 and 74 suffered gunshot wounds and in a separate incident, seven people aged 15 to 40 years old were shot. The 40-year-old died, according to the police department.
CNN has reached out to the mayor’s office and Chicago Police for comment and additional information about the long weekend’s shootings.
The city reported 617 homicides in 2023, though Chicago police data showed a 13% drop in murders that year compared to the previous, when 709 people were killed.
In the United States, law enforcement statistics and independent researchers have continually pointed to summer months as a time of increased gun violence, with July 1-7 being an especially violent period each year for both mass shootings and individual incidents.
July 4 itself accounted for more US mass shootings than any other single calendar day over roughly a decade, a 2023 CNN analysis of the Gun Violence Archive’s mass shooting data since 2014 found. The day with the second most number of shootings was the day after – July 5.
The city's efforts to maximize police presence and ensure prompt incident response couldn't prevent further shootings among the city's residents. Despite the drop in murders shown by Chicago police data in 2023, the United States still experiences an increase in gun violence during the summer months, particularly around July 4.
