Horrific gun violence scars July 4 weekend in US' Chicago; 7 killed, 37 injured: Reports

At least 37 people were injured and nearly 7 people lost their lives in a string of shooting events over the July 4 holiday weekend in Illinois city, Chicago, according to local media reports. A 30-year-old man was shot and killed on Saturday morning (local time) in Chicago, Illinois, making it the latest in the recent spate of heinous killings that are occurring in the United States.  

According to police, the deceased was shot in the head during the shooting incident in the 9000 block of Escanaba at around 12:19 a.m (local time). The man was further transferred to a local hospital, where doctors declared him dead. In a separate incident, a 90-year-old man was hospitalised on the same day after being shot in the belly. Mount Sinai Hospital described him as being in a serious condition, Fox News reported.  

July 4 weekend shootings

Furthermore, on Friday, gun attacks in Chicago resulted in at least 29 injuries, local media reported, quoting Chicago Police. As per ABC 7, a 24-year-old woman was slain on Friday night amid a gunfight between two men in Chicago's Chinatown neighbourhood. One of the shooters and two other men were also injured during the incident. The woman was hit in the torso and was rushed to the Stroger Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries, police informed.  

Besides this, the deadly shooting over the July 4 weekend included a 26-year-old male who was shot and killed at around 5:43 p.m. (local time) on Friday in the 6500 block of South Wolcott, Chicago Police revealed. The event happened when the victim was standing close to the sidewalk when an unidentified assailant came, pulled out a handgun, and began firing rounds. The victim was hit in the head and arm after the offender's action, according to the police. 

As per an ANI report, a 42-year-old woman was wounded in the hand during the same shooting and was transferred to a nearby hospital. After being shot in the buttocks, a 38-year-old man, who police claimed was also the culprit, was brought to a nearby hospital in a severe condition. 

The police also highlighted, based on their preliminary investigation into the incident, that the individual in custody was exchanging shots with another man who escaped the scene. According to media reports, a weapon was found, and investigators are currently looking into the incident. 

It is worth noting that the shooting incidents happened on the same day when Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had a press conference and thanked the city's police force. At a news conference on Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged citizens to "thank" police, saying, "We need to remember every single day on every single watch, our brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department are out there literally risking their lives for our safety", ANI reported. 

Lightfoot was joined by Superintendent David Brown of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), who predicted that the July 4 holiday would be a challenging weekend for law enforcement, Fox News reported. 

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden stated that the US needs to prohibit assault rifles in order to safeguard children and families or raise the purchasing age from 18 to 21 in wake of the rising number of gun violence occurrences in the country.