4 dead, 47 wounded in July 4th weekend Chicago violence

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Four men were killed and 47 other people, including three children, were wounded in weekend violence across Chicago over the Fourth of July. Three men died by shooting; one man was killed in a stabbing, police say.

Two children were playing enjoying fireworks show outside in the 5500 block of South Hermitage about 11 p.m. when someone on the street started shooting, according to relatives and Chicago Police.

"Some guys came out into the alley and started shooting, and they took off. My grandkids were out here, my daughter, my son, everybody," says Roderick Vasser, grandfather to the boy who was shot.

Corey Bondurant, 8, was shot in the right leg and Nya Williams, 5, was shot in the left leg, police said. They were both taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where their conditions were stabilized. The cousins are expected to survive. Relatives say Bondurant underwent surgery for a shattered leg.

"This is how we live. This is how Chicago is. It don't make no sense," Vasser says.

Police say two adults, a 30-year-old woman and 19-year-old man, were also shot at the scene. They were each shot in the left leg and listed in good condition.

Chicago police say between 5 p.m. Friday and just before midnight Monday night, at least three people were killed in shootings and another 47 wounded. Those numbers are slightly down, but on par, with recent July 4 weekends.

At least 63 people were shot over the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, leaving 10 dead.

Monday evening there was guarded optimism from Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson that a pre-July Fourth sweep of gang members had made a difference, as shootings were down Saturday and Sunday. But then came an explosion of violence Monday night, and Tuesday Johnson couldn't say what had changed.

"There's always a possibility that we could have had more police officers out there, so we'll take a look at it and see if that's the case," Johnson said Tuesday.

Rev. Jesse Jackson also renewed his appeal for federal involvement on Tuesday.

"We continue to call for a White House conference on violence and poverty and reconstruction. Chicago has hit the threshold of that kind of attention," Jackson said.

Some 5,000 officers were deployed for the holiday weekend. The superintendent was asked Tuesday if he could maintain that level of staffing throughout the summer on weekends. He said there would be challenges to such a plan but declined to give details.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.