Thirteen people, including a 3-year-old boy, were wounded in a spray of bullets at Cornell Square Park, in Chicago's south side Back of the Yards neighborhood.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel:
"Senseless and brazen acts of violence have no place in Chicago and betray all that we stand for. The perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I encourage everyone in the community to step forward with any information and everyone in Chicago to continue their individual efforts to build stronger communities where violence has no place."
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk:
"The Back of the Yard families whose lives were torn apart by last night's senseless shootings are in my prayers. The law-abiding citizens of these neighborhoods continue to suffer at the hands of dangerous drug gangs. Several weeks ago I spoke face-to-face with Englewood families. They told about the grief they experience — their everyday suffering at the hands of these drug fueled gangsters. Gangs are fueled by the money and power gained by engaging in criminal activity. Homicide, shootings, weapons offenses, human trafficking, drug trafficking and rape are just a few of the crimes associated with gangs. This tragedy is yet another reminder that we must work together to eradicate these gangs that are a cancer on our communities."
Gov. Pat Quinn:
"I am deeply saddened by the horrific violence that erupted on a Chicago playground last night."
"We pray for the swift recovery of all the shooting victims, and our hearts go out to their families.
"This senseless violence must be stopped."
Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy:
"What is needed in Chicago and in cities across this country is real action on reasonable gun laws on the state and federal level. We need to keep illegal guns and military-type weapons out of our communities.
"Illegal guns," McCarthy said, repeating the phrase three times to drive the point, "drive violence, and military-type weapons, like the one we believe to have been used in this shooting belong on battlefields, not on the street or on the corner or in a park in the Back of the Yards."
"This country should have a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines like the ones used in this event. It's common sense. And it's a miracle that in this instance there have been no fatalities."
"We should require background checks of all gun sales. At the state level, we need a law that requires reported of the transfer of a weapon because that's how straw purchases occur and those illegal weapons and end up on the streets of our communities.
Ill. Sen. Dick Durbin:
"We need to do our part in Washington," said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin. "It is absolutely unacceptable that Washington has failed to pass the most basic, sensible gun legislation. Our law, nationally, should say [that] if you have committed a violent felony or if you are mentally unstable, you cannot legally purchase a gun in America. That, to me, is the starting point. ... We've got to work together to make all of our cities in Illinois safer and to make sure guns don't get in the wrong hands."
"I would like to sit down with the mayor and Garry McCarthy and talk about whether there's a need for any additional resources. I know that they really added more cops on the beat and there was a dramatic change. It looked like things were moving in the right direction -- and they were. But when we have setbacks like this, this terrible shooting incident near Back of the Yards, it's a reminder that we're still vulnerable. I'm open to helping, appealing to the governor or even the president, if necessary, but at this moment in time let's keep cool heads, work with the police to solve this crime, and see what it takes to make sure this doesn't happen again."
U..S. Rep Jan Schakowsky:
"Last night, innocent men, women and children were shot at Back of the Yards in Chicago. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the community. The shooting left 13 injured, including a 3 year-old boy who is in critical condition at a hospital.
“Our country has seen two mass shootings this week. These violent shootings are becoming an epidemic in our society. At what point do we act? How many more innocent lives have to be taken until Congress is forced to do something? These questions should no longer go unanswered. I am outraged and angered that gun violence continues to affect the lives of innocent people. We can’t allow our cities to become places where children can’t go to parks and people are afraid to go to work for fear of guns. It’s time to address the deadly violence threatening our neighborhoods. Congress must act now to pass gun safety legislation that protects our children, families and our communities.”
Ald. Bob Fioretti:
“My heart goes out to the families, first of all. But I look at it and I feel somewhat of anger that this could happen in our great city. We have all banded together in the council to try to have crime like this, but we have a flow of illegal guns that come into this city, we have unprecedented drug activity in our neighborhoods. At the same time, we have lack of jobs, lack of opportunity that people turn to this drug trade that’s going on. We all know that we need more police in our communities and we should let the police do their jobs, but at the same time our communities, from the north side to the south side, from the lakefront to the west side have to step up. Families have to take control of what’s happening in their families. We need to unite to fight this ever-rising criminal conduct that is happening in our streets.”
Ald. JoAnn Thompson:
16th Ward Alderman Thompson is utterly outraged that perpetrators would take advantage of community residents enjoying themselves in a Chicago Park.
Alderman Thompson is saddened by this recent wave of violence. She takes this opportunity to send well wishes for a speedy recovery to all individuals injured in the shooting at Cornell Park, especially the 3 year old child.
