Chicago shootings: 75 shot, 14 fatally, in weekend gun violence across city, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago shootings over the holiday weekend have left more than 75 shot, 14 fatally, police said.

Interim CPD Supt. Fred Waller held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, saying there was progress this holiday weekend. Still, he admitted more needs to be done.

Chicago shootings this weekend left at least 75 people shot, 13 fatally, the police department said.

"We saw some success, this weekend, in some of our high trafficked areas like the lakefront and beaches, but there's more work to be done as we make progress in our city's most vulnerable communities," Waller said. "I'm never going to say that we can't use more manpower, more resources. We're really working officers to a nub."

Waller joined others at the Bright Star Community center at Woodson Middle School, where a new trauma helpline was unveiled.

"On this helpline, anyone from across the city can call 833-TURN-123, and get help if they've experienced trauma or violence," said Nichole Carter with Bright Star Community Outreach. "Here in this space, we will have collaborative partners that are going to help to bring healing to the community."

It is a small effort helping to address and potentially deter the bigger issue of crime in Chicago.

"There's power in each of our communities, and we know there can be peace, also," Waller said.

The superintendent also touted the number of guns taken off the streets over the holiday weekend, which, police said was more than 180 guns.

Still, dozens of people were shot over the weekend. The latest shootings attacked groups of teenagers.

Gunfire erupted in West Garfield Park as three teens were standing on a front porch in the 3800-block of West Gladys Avenue when someone in a dark-colored car opened fire, police said.

A 17-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the right eye. A 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg and buttocks, and a 19-year-old man was shot in the arm and both were transported to hospitals in good condition. One of the girls later died.

"We don't know exactly the motive. We have to look into the background of the other people who were there. I'm sure the young lady was probably not the target," Waller said.

Just a few hours earlier and less than 2 miles away, police said a 14-year-old boy walking down the block in the 100 block of North Francisco Avenue when an unknown gunman opened fire on him. He was struck in the right arm and right leg and transported to a hospital in fair condition.

On the South Side, 32-year old father of four Brian Ross, was gunned down along with another man during a large Father's Day gathering at Smith Park in the Roseland community.

Relatives said he was not the intended target.

"They literally stopped where they were at, open fired on them, didn't care about the kids being around or nothing. And, by the grace of God, no kids get hit," Kandace Ross, the victim's husband, said. "They didn't care about nothing or nobody because there were kids out there. There were women out there, there were grandmas, anybody. They just came and just shot it up just so they can, I don't know, brag about it."

Police are looking into if social media played a role in the attack.

The violence happened on almost every side of town, including the Bucktown neighborhood

A building's security camera captured a botched carjacking near Damen and Wabansia avenues.

Footage shows two carjackers shoot a man as they tried to take his black SUV early Monday morning.

The 52-year-old victim was shot in the back by one of the attackers when he tried to run away. The robbers eventually fled in a white car without taking the victim's vehicle.

On the South Side, where violence at a Father's Day gathering in a park left two men dead.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on Monday that every loss of life is heartbreaking.

The weekend violence touched many other parts of the city. A shooting in Lincoln Park near the zoo left five people injured. On the West Side, two teens were shot, one of them killed near Garfield Park.

"Every time I read and hear about another life that is lost because of violence, my heart breaks," Johnson said. "Fifteen-year-olds, 14-year-olds, you all know I'm raising children in Chicago. It hurts."

There was another shooting on the CTA Red Line at a station in Chinatown. And, in River North, home security video showed a man being chased down and shot on Erie Street.

Johnson would not say if anything specific in the policing strategy needs to change to stem the violence, which he says is a problem he inherited.

"We have a layered, multi-tiered approach. And so, yes, it requires some policing strategies that are more strategic and smart. But, everybody knows that if your only strategy is policing, that is the old way of doing things," Johnson said.

Relatives of Brian said he was not the intended target, but police said they aren't sure, and their investigation is ongoing.

Other holiday weekend shootings

Chicago police said one person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting and crash on the South Side Monday. Police said 4 males were driving in a car in the 3200-block of West 79th Street around 2:35 p.m. when people in another car that was driving in the opposite direction began shooting at them. The shooters' car then fled the scene. The victims' vehicle crashed into a semi-truck at the intersection of 79th and Columbus, police said. Police said a 20-year-old man was struck in the head by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. A 16-year-old boy was struck in the arm by gunfire and taken to University of Chicago Hospital in good condition. A 19-year-old man was struck in the leg by gunfire and taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition. A 21-year-old man was struck in the leg by gunfire and self-transported to Christ Hospital where he is in good condition. Police said four firearms were recovered from the scene. No one is currently in custody and an investigation is ongoing.

A man was shot to death Monday morning while driving in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. About 7:25 a.m., the man, 32, was driving in the 4400 block of West Gladys Avenue when he was shot multiple times throughout his body, Chicago police said. His vehicle then struck a parked car and he was transported to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.

Another man was shot and killed at the entrance of a fast food restaurant in West Pullman Sunday night, police said. Just after 11 p.m., the 32-year-old was fighting with another man in the vestibule of a fast food restaurant in the 11600 block of South Halsted Street when he opened fire, police said. The man was shot in the back and pronounced dead on the scene. No one is in custody and detectives are investigating.

Over an hour earlier, a man was shot and killed on a sidewalk in Auburn Gresham. The 39-year-old was outside about 9:20 p.m. in the 8800 block of South Kerfoot Avenue when shots were fired, Chicago police said. He was shot in the chest and taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. No one was in custody. Area Two detectives are investigating.

Four men were shot, one fatally, in the Austin neighborhood early Sunday. Just before 3 a.m., five men were fighting inside a garage in the 5400-block of West Crystal Street when one of the men pulled out a gun and opened fire, according to Chicago police. One man, 31, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Another man, whose age was unknown, was shot in the ankle and was taken to the same hospital, where he was listed in good condition, police said. The third man, 27, was struck in the leg and arm and drove to Stroger Hospital in fair condition, police said. A fourth man, whose age was unknown, also went to Stroger Hospital and was listed in critical condition with unknown injuries, police said. The gunman fled the scene, police said. No one was in custody.

A man was found shot to over an hour earlier in Woodlawn on the South Side. The man, 48, was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the 6600-block of South Evans Avenue around 1:30 a.m., Chicago police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. No arrests have been made.

Another man was fatally shot early Saturday in Auburn Gresham on the South Side. Police responded to a call of a person shot in the 1600 block of West 80th Street when they discovered a 58-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest shortly after midnight. Witnesses at the scene told police they heard shots fired and saw the man fall to the ground. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said. No one was in custody.

Another man died after he was found Friday night lying on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound in Garfield Park. The 26-year-old was shot in the lower back at about 6:30 p.m. in the 3900-block of West Gladys Avenue, according to Chicago police. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. No one was in custody. No other information was available.

In nonfatal shootings, two 15-year-old boys were shot and wounded Sunday night in West Pullman on the Far South Side. They were standing outside around 8:40 p.m. in the 12800-block of South Normal Avenue when someone fired shots, striking one boy in the groin and the other in the foot, Chicago police said. Both boys were taken to Roseland Hospital, where they were listed in fair condition, according to police. No arrests were reported.

Last weekend, at 31 people were shot, four fatally, in gun violence across Chicago, police said.

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The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.