News,
The stress of living in challenging circumstances and the usual ebbs and flows of violence might have been some of the reasons why 40 people were shot over the weekend in Chicago, national anti-violence advocates based there told USA TODAY.
Of those who were shot, 12 died, according to multiple media reports.
The city already has been in the national spotlight for increasing gun violence in recent years. The Chicago Police Department in a statement sent via e-mail Monday night said that the majority of the shootings were attacks or retaliation during holiday gatherings by gang members.
"Ninety percent of those fatally wounded had gang affiliations, criminal histories and were pre-identified by the department's strategic subject algorithm as being a potential suspect or victim of gun violence," the statement read.
In addition to responding to the 40 shootings, the Chicago Police Department also confiscated 45 guns from city streets starting on Friday, and that number is slightly larger than what is typical, according to the statement.
The statistics join those that have been building up in recent years in the Midwestern city, which, according to the Chicago Tribune, experienced its most violent month in August in 20 years. By Aug. 29, the city had logged 78 homicides — the highest number since October 1997, which saw 79 homicides, the Tribune reported. By August, the city had logged more homicides than Los Angeles and New York City combined, according to the Tribune.
Dr. Gary Slutkin, founder of the non-profit, Chicago-based group Cure Violence, believes part of the problem is that his nationally recognized organization experienced a drastic reduction in state funding two years ago when Illinois made across-the-board cuts. His organization treats the gun violence epidemic as a public health crisis, he said. In doing that, it has been effective in employing people who have experienced gun violence to detect those in their communities who might be in danger of slipping into that life — and in mentoring them and pulling them back form the brink, Slutkin said.
"A lot of individuals and organizations are calling us and we're trying to figure out now how to re-engage in 2017 as fast as we can," Slutkin told USA TODAY. "The state gave some temporary money that’s lasting about a month. They won’t have another budget until the summer."
At its high point, the organization that launched in 2000 operated out of 18 districts, Slutkin said. That figure dropped to 14 when Illinois ran out of funds and then down to one, he said.
In 2015 and 2016, the only community to still maintain a Cure Violence operation was the only Chicago district where shootings and killings declined, according to Chicago police data, the organization says. The neighborhood that previously had the largest Cure Violence operation (and therefore saw the largest decrease) saw the largest increase in shootings, according to the police statistics.
Police investigate the scene of a quadruple homicide on the city's Southside on December 17, 2016 ...more
Scott Olson, Getty Images
The stress of living in challenging circumstances and the usual ebbs and flows of violence might have been some of the reasons why 40 people were shot over the weekend in Chicago, national anti-violence advocates based there told USA TODAY.
Of those who were shot, 12 died, according to multiple media reports.
The city already has been in the national spotlight for increasing gun violence in recent years. The Chicago Police Department in a statement sent via e-mail Monday night said that the majority of the shootings were attacks or retaliation during holiday gatherings by gang members.
"Ninety percent of those fatally wounded had gang affiliations, criminal histories and were pre-identified by the department's strategic subject algorithm as being a potential suspect or victim of gun violence," the statement read.
In addition to responding to the 40 shootings, the Chicago Police Department also confiscated 45 guns from city streets starting on Friday, and that number is slightly larger than what is typical, according to the statement.
The statistics join those that have been building up in recent years in the Midwestern city, which, according to the Chicago Tribune, experienced its most violent month in August in 20 years. By Aug. 29, the city had logged 78 homicides — the highest number since October 1997, which saw 79 homicides, the Tribune reported. By August, the city had logged more homicides than Los Angeles and New York City combined, according to the Tribune.
Dr. Gary Slutkin, founder of the non-profit, Chicago-based group Cure Violence, believes part of the problem is that his nationally recognized organization experienced a drastic reduction in state funding two years ago when Illinois made across-the-board cuts. His organization treats the gun violence epidemic as a public health crisis, he said. In doing that, it has been effective in employing people who have experienced gun violence to detect those in their communities who might be in danger of slipping into that life — and in mentoring them and pulling them back form the brink, Slutkin said.
"A lot of individuals and organizations are calling us and we're trying to figure out now how to re-engage in 2017 as fast as we can," Slutkin told USA TODAY. "The state gave some temporary money that’s lasting about a month. They won’t have another budget until the summer."
At its high point, the organization that launched in 2000 operated out of 18 districts, Slutkin said. That figure dropped to 14 when Illinois ran out of funds and then down to one, he said.
In 2015 and 2016, the only community to still maintain a Cure Violence operation was the only Chicago district where shootings and killings declined, according to Chicago police data, the organization says. The neighborhood that previously had the largest Cure Violence operation (and therefore saw the largest decrease) saw the largest increase in shootings, according to the police statistics.
Police investigate the scene of a quadruple homicide on the city's Southside on December 17, 2016 ...more
Scott Olson, Getty Images
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