More than 50 people have been shot, and seven killed, in Chicago over the Labor Day weekend, according to police.
The weekend violence comes amid repeated threats by Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard to the city. In a Monday Truth Social post, the president condemned the violence, writing that crime “is totally out of control in Chicago.”
Newsweek has reached out to the office of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump has openly mused about deploying the military in Chicago, New York, Baltimore, and other Democrat-run cities to “clean up the crime,” despite strong opposition from those city leaders. The musings follow an executive order last month, federalizing police and deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
The president has also heavily criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, calling the latter “incompetent” and saying Johnson is “no better.”
In response to the Trump administration’s threats, on Saturday Johnson signed an executive order that directs city agencies and law enforcement to resist cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, citing “escalating threats from the federal government.” The looming clash is likely to set a precedent for how Democratic-led cities respond to federal intervention in the future.
What To Know
Chicago saw at least 52 shootings and seven fatalities over the weekend across several neighborhoods.
It’s an increase on last year’s Labor Day weekend, when five people were killed and another 31 were injured in gun violence, according to ABC7 Chicago. However, fatalities were down this year compared to gun-related in deaths in 2023, where ten people were killed, and in 2022 where eight deaths were reported, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Another 56 were injured in shooting incidents in 2022 while 34 were hurt in 2023, according to local reports.
This year, in South Shore late Friday night, a 25-year-old woman was fatally shot inside an apartment on South Essex Avenue, ABC7 Chicago reports. The next morning in East Garfield Park, a 29-year-old man was killed when a gunman exited a dark SUV and opened fire on two men. Later Saturday, a 43-year-old woman was gunned down in Altgeld Gardens, and early Sunday a 33-year-old man was fatally shot in the head during an argument in Englewood, according to police.
Several mass shootings also contributed to the significant numbers of injured and wounded. In Bronzeville, on the southside of Chicago, at least seven people were wounded late Saturday in a drive-by attack on South State Street. Hours later in Humboldt Park, four more were shot during another drive-by, while in Pilsen a 46-year-old man died and two others were injured when a suspect opened fire on a group of men.
Teen victims were also among the wounded. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the arm and hand Sunday afternoon in Lawndale and is in good condition, police said. Hours later, gunfire erupted during a large gathering near Ellis Park, leaving five people hurt, including a 17-year-old boy who was critically injured. Police recovered four guns at that scene and detained a person of interest.
Despite the bloody weekend, violent crime is down in Chicago by 21.6 percent, according to new year-to-date crime statistics released by Johnson’s office. Homicides have also fallen by 32.3 percent, the figures show.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration appear to be ramping up to a potential military deployment in the city.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently asked Naval Station Great Lakes, a military base located near Chicago, for support in potential immigration enforcement. Base spokesperson Matt Mogle said in a statement Wednesday that the base had not yet received an official request to support a National Guard deployment.
Trump has also signed an executive order establishing “specialized units” within the National Guard to address urban crime.
What People Are Saying
Trump wrote, in a Truth Social post on Monday, “CRIME IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL IN CHICAGO. 6 DEAD, 24 BADLY WOUNDED, LAST WEEK ALONE!!!”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Saturday, “We may see militarized immigration enforcement. We may also see National Guard troops. We may even see active duty military and armed vehicles in our streets. We have not called for this. Our people have not asked for this, but nevertheless, we find ourselves having to respond to this.”
Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker in a press conference last week: “If this was really about fighting crime and making the streets safe, what possible justification could the White House have for planning such an exceptional action without any conversations or consultations with the governor, the mayor, or the police?”
Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday in LaCrosse, Wisconsin: “We’re not too far from Chicago. Chicago has had a lot of crime problems. Why is it that you have mayors and governors who are angrier about Donald Trump offering to help them than they are about the fact that their own residents are being carjacked and murdered in the streets? It doesn’t make an ounce of sense.”
What Happens Next
Department of Homeland Security has not yet announced the deployment of the military to Chicago, or any other major Democrat-run cities, since Washington D.C.
The post Deadly Chicago Labor Day Weekend With 52 Shot as Trump Threatens Crackdown appeared first on Newsweek.
