A series of weekend shootings in Chicago left 7 dead and more than 38 injured. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Police reported at least two dozen shooting incidents since 5 p.m. Friday. Those killed include a 21-year-old shot in the chest Sunday, an 18-year-old shot in the armpit Saturday evening, and a 50-year-old shot in the chest Friday.
President Donald Trump renewed his call for military intervention in the nation's third-largest city in a Sunday morning Truth Social post. "Why isn't Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!!" he wrote.
The office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender who has repeatedly rebuffed Trump's calls for military intervention, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under Trump, National Guard troops have been deployed on crime-fighting missions in Democrat-led cities including New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee.
While Chicago Police Department data shows a slight uptick in shooting incidents compared to the first half of last year, violent crime rates have generally dropped in the city over the past few years, in parallel with national trends.
On Friday evening, an SUV pulled up to a crowd on a Chicago street and two people inside started shooting, wounding at least 12 people. The eight men and four women ranged in age from 17 to 47. They were being treated at four hospitals. Another man suffered unknown injuries and refused medical treatment.
The shooting occurred on Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. Earlier Friday, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center on the South Side.
"What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in an X post Saturday. "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. Violence has no place in our city, and those responsible will be held accountable."
Associated Press writer Jack Brook contributed from New Orleans.