If only there were no police the cornucopia of peace would reign in Chicago, right? No mass protests in the affected neighborhooods.

With murders up nearly 80% in Chicago last month, Lori Lightfoot blames guns

by Andrew Mark Miller

 | July 03, 2020 10:16 AM

Shootings and homicides in Chicago increased sharply in June compared to the same time last year.

Police data show that shootings in Chicago increased by 75% in June of 2020 compared to June 2019, and murders in the city rose by 78%, according to NBC 5 Chicago.

In June of this year, 424 people were shot, and 89 were murdered — compared to 242 shootings and 50 murders during the same month last year. 

Last weekend alone, gun violence killed more than a dozen people, including three children. Twelve people were killed on Father’s Day weekend, including a 3-year-old. 

The city plans to deploy 1,200 extra officers over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to WGN TV. 

When asked about the rise in violence, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, said it was a “complicated” question and suggested that gun control is the answer. 

“That’s a complicated question,” Lightfoot said. “We have way too many guns on the streets.”

Lightfoot also suggested that the coronavirus shutdowns that kept people inside for months played a role in creating a “perfect storm” while also pointing out the death of George Floyd as an event that sparked anger in the community.

Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara shifted some of the blame on to local officials, including Lightfoot, for criticizing police and making it harder for them to do their jobs.

“When the top official in this city is blaming the police for everything that's wrong, to hide their inefficiencies and inadequacies, it definitely makes people stop and wonder, ‘What am I doing? Am I going home? Am I going to have a job tomorrow? Am I going to be in jail next week?’" Catanzara said. 

Police did say that crime in the city overall has gone down 9% through the end of June but did not provide overall crime data for June specifically.Chicago Crime 2020Shortl (6/28 – 7/4Chicago Year to Date

Shot & Killed: 313
Shot & Wounded: 1442
Total Shot: 1755
Total Homicides: 342

Final June Totals (vs 2019)
Shot & Killed: 87 (+93%)
Shot & Wounded: 469(+71%)
Total Shot: 556 (+74%)
Total Homicides: 92 (+84%)

Year to Date
Shot & Killed: 313
Shot & Wounded: 1442
Total Shot: 1755
Total Homicides: 342

2020 Race of Victim/Assailant

Posted on January 17, 2020

Race	Victim	Assailant
Black	258	24
Hispanic	54	7
White/Other	15	2
Police	-	3
Self Defense	-	5
Unknown	8	294

Pfleger: A time bomb

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a longtime crusader against gun violence who leads St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham, said it was “open season” last weekend in his neighborhood and others on the South and West sides.

“On Saturday and particularly Sunday, I heard people saying all over, ‘Hey, there’s no police anywhere, police ain’t doing nothing,’” Pfleger said.

“I sat and watched a store looted for over an hour,” he added. “No police came. I got in my car and drove around to some other places getting looted [and] didn’t see police anywhere.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on May 31 alone, Chicago’s 911 emergency center received 65,000 calls for all types of service — 50,000 more than on a usual day.