(LibertyInsider.org) – Chicago is reeling in the wake of yet another weekend marked by violent crime. According to local officials, shootings that occurred between March 1 and 3 led to the deaths of at least two people and at least 17 others injured.
One of the victims was a 17-year-old boy named Jeremy Smith, who suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and neck. A 15-year-old who was also present at the same scene at the time was reportedly shot in the leg but was recovering well at Stroger Hospital as of Monday.
A 22-year-old man was also shot by an unidentified assailant who opened fire on his vehicle as he was stopped at an intersection in Little Village. First responders transported the victim to Mt. Sinai Hospital, but he did not survive the attack.
The status of the other individuals injured over the weekend in shootings remains unclear at this time. However, data from the Chicago Tribune suggests that the two homicides were far from an isolated incident. At least 65 people have died as a direct result of violent crime in the city since January 1, 2024. Eleven were minors, while the rest ranged in age from 20 to 79.
The Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood recorded the highest number of homicides in Chicago so far this year, with police reporting a staggering seven killings in just two months. Chatham and Auburn Gresham followed closely with six and four fatalities, respectively.
Gun crimes declined in Chicago in 2022 and again in 2023, but firearms remain the number one cause of death across all reported homicides. In fact, just 10 of the 65 incidents recorded in 2024 involved some other kind of weapon or attack.
Late last year, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled a new “People’s Plan for Community Safety” (PPCS) agenda aimed at resolving the root causes of crime. It promised to allocate heavy financial and resource investments, including a small guaranteed basic income program, to several of the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods.
Both Johnson’s agenda and his current efforts continue to draw criticism, even now, especially from Conservatives. Some of the language within the PPCS reportedly bears striking similarity to Lori Lightfoot’s former “Our City, Our Safety” plan, which leaves critics questioning whether he’s truly willing to implement the kind of drastic changes needed to crack down on crime.
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