Just hours after city leaders held a press conference to discuss summer safety plans, the violence began.
At least 10 people were shot and one person was stabbed in overnight violence in Chicago, leaving two people dead.
The homicide happened in the Albany Park neighborhood just after 11:20 p.m. Friday. Police said two people in their twenties were found shot in the head in an alley.
At the same time across the city downtown, a 23-year-old man said he was stabbed by an unknown person in a large crowd.
“Nobody should feel as though their block is lost to the criminals," 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez told NBC Chicago. The first of the weekend shootings happened in his ward.
"The mayor needs to take these things seriously now and allow the police to fully encapsulate the beats and districts to have boots on the ground," he said. "I have some serious concerns for this weekend."
At Friday's press conference, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said they will incur overtime and need to cancel days off for officers this summer to have a greater visible presence downtown.
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"We’re making sure officers have advance notice so they can work around these changes," Snelling said. "Everyone in this city, every family every child deserves to enjoy the summer without fear of violence. We didn’t just start planning for summer a few weeks ago, it’s built on a one-year effort to allocate resources efficiently and make sure each neighborhood across the city has its residents need to feel safe come true.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson said he hopes to used the "full force" of government to combat crime this summer.
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“No death is tolerable," he said. "I don’t want anyone to get shot or die in Chicago, which is why we are putting forth our community safety plan to respond to what has been ignored needs for generations.”
Johnson's plan will focus on providing activities and jobs for young people. The One Summer Chicago initiative will offer paid 20 hours of work for six weeks to individuals ranging in age from 14-24. The city is also planning more activities at Chicago Park District facilities, as 22 city beaches opened Friday with 44 park district schools slated to open June 17.
Ald. Lopez said more change and safety measures need to be enacted in the more immediate future.
"How do we ensure we have enough presence in high crime communities," he said. "Also call in all anti violence and violence interrupters and put them on notice... lastly we cannot allow things to get out of control past midnight."
You can read more about future summer safety plans here.
