Why July 4th Weekend Was The Most Violent In Chicago Despite Trump Sending Federal Help

The Fourth Of July weekend this year turned out to be possibly the most violent recorded in Chicago in recent years, with over 101 people being shot and 15 killed despite additional law enforcement officials being deployed.

Last year, during the same time, 64 people were shot in Chicago, of which four died.Ten people were killed and 55 wounded in shootings on the July 4 weekend of 2015. In 2014, 66 were shot and 16 were killed on Independence Day weekend, USA Today reported.

Given the history of violence on the weekend in the previous years, an additional 1,300 police officers were posted on the streets of Chicago. Law enforcement officers ended up conducting various raids and arresting close to 60 people responsible for inciting violence; they also seized 159 illegal guns. Despite the precautionary measures, the weekend turned out to be one of the most violent weekends in the city's history.

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The shootings happened days after President Donald Trump pointed out in a tweet that gun violence in Chicago was escalating and he will be sending in reinforcements.

“While our efforts are deterrent, if we don’t create a culture where someone thinks twice before picking up a gun, we'll see this cycle continue,” Chicago Police Department (CPD) first deputy superintendent Kevin Navarro said, local news outlet WGN9 reported.

The police department reflected how the prevalent mood of the department was one of “frustration” as their ShotSpotter system, designed to detect gun shots, failed because of the “amateur fireworks” that confused the system.

The system uses spotters to detect shootings and deploys cameras in the direction of the shots while officers prepare to check out the area themselves. Then there are analysts at the police station who decide on the next course of action based on the data received, Chicago Tribune reported.

The system was one of the reasons violence on Memorial Day weekend this year went down from last year. Forty four people were shot and six killed on the weekend, in comparison to 69 people being shot, which left six dead, on the same weekend in 2016, NBC Chicago reported.

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CPD listed the reasons for elevated level of violence on factors like increased use of drugs and alcohol on the occasion, easy availability of guns on streets and the warm weather.

Another reason for the spike in violence compared to the last few years was people got to celebrate for four days this year. The last time Fourth of July weekend spanned over four days was back in 2013 when 74 people were shot, and 12 among them died.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters Monday they tried and failed to restrict gang activity in the area, and lenient gun laws let felons arm themselves with illegal fire arms with ease.

“These violent gun offenders are clearly giving us the message that they just don’t care about the rest of the city of Chicago," Johnson said. “To be quite frank, I’m sick of it, and I know the people in the communities are tired of it. That’s why we have to do a better job of holding those individuals accountable.”