Shootings in urban areas this weekend left multiple people dead as violence continues to rise in cities around the country.
Nine people died and 36 people were injured from shooting in Chicago over the weekend. The victims who died were all males less than 47 years old, with at least five of them in their 20’s. Some of them were teenagers as young as 17 years old.
Last weekend, Chicago suffered similar violence with at least 54 people shot and 12 dead.
According to the Chicago Police Department, “shootings and murders are up 50% compared to last year.” The Chicago Sun-Times also reports there have been “544 murders in 2020 compared to 364 murders during the same time in 2019” and “2,220 shootings in 2020 compared to about 1,500 over the same time in 2019,” making 2020 one of Chicago’s “most violent years in the last decade.”
A shooting in Rochester, New York at an illegal house party left two people dead and 14 wounded on Saturday. The victims, including those who died, were between 17-23 years old.
“This is yet another tragedy where individuals are having these illegal, unsanctioned house parties taking place on these properties which, number one, is not safe because of COVID, because of the conditions, and then you add in alcohol and violence and it becomes a recipe for disaster,” Acting Rochester Police Chief Mark Simmons said.
According to reports, the incident occurred in “early morning hours” when “several dozen” rounds were fired into the group of people. No suspect was named or arrested as of Monday.
RPD has not yet commented on how many or what type of guns were used but says “several dozen” rounds were fired. pic.twitter.com/myLc9Fdxtz
— Tyler Brown 13 WHAM (@tbrown13WHAM) September 19, 2020
Multiple RPD technician units leaving the scene. pic.twitter.com/3jpNY81C3F
— Tyler Brown 13 WHAM (@tbrown13WHAM) September 19, 2020
“This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions if you ask me. I mean, 16 victims is unheard of,” Simmons said. “For our community, who is right now going through so much, to have to be dealt [this] tragedy needlessly because of people who decide to act in a violent manner, is unfortunate, it’s shameful, and we’re going to do everything we can as a department to bring those people involved to justice.”
Violence in Rochester surged after video was released of the death of Daniel Prude while in police custody in March. Police made multiple arrests after they clashed with rowdy protestors concerning Prude’s death over Labor Day weekend.
This weekend’s shootings in various cities further demonstrate an upward trend of violence in urban areas since the beginning of 2020, with many cities on track to break previous records for violent crime.
The Department of Justice released a list of cities on Monday labeling them as “jurisdictions permitting violence and destruction of property.” According to the DOJ, “gun violence” is a qualifying factor of these cities.
