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| Flickr CC via John Hajee |
Thirteen people were shot late Thursday
night in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood.
The shooting took place at a basketball court and is believed to be gang
related. One three year old child was
injured, and twelves others ranged in age from 15 to 41.
Mayor Rahm Emmanuel immediately came
home from meetings in Washington, and released a press statement on Friday
morning. "Senseless and brazen actsof violence have no place in Chicago and betray all that we stand for,"
Emanuel said in a statement. "The perpetrators of this crime will be
brought to justice and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry
McCarthy said it was a "miracle" no one was killed, and he renewed
his call for a ban on assault weapons, saying that “military grade weapons on
the streets of Chicago is simply unacceptable”.
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| Flickr CC via Pete Fuller |
Chicago had more murders than New York
City last year, even though the population of New York is nearly three times
larger. The police suspect this incident
involved a fight between the Gangsta Disciples and the Black P. Stones, both
Chicago based street gangs thought to have about 30,000 members.
A single gunman with a high-powered
rifle committed the shooting. At least 16 rounds were fired. Police say that they haven’t been able to
identify any particular targets but that some of the victims are known gang
members. The park is out side of several
nearby “high-impact” zones that have been targeted by police for extra
patrols. Three victims are currently in
critical condition at local hospitals.
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