Gun violence: 8 killed, 16 wounded in weekend shootings in Chicago

At least eight people were killed and 14 others wounded in a spate of shootings in the US city of Chicago over the weekend amid an alarming surge in gun violence in the country.

The shootings took place from 6 pm Friday until 11:59 pm Sunday night, according to local police. The victims included women, children, and minors in the age group of 16 to 65. 

A local broadcaster cited police as saying that the first case was registered in West Garfield Park when a 69-year-old man was shot dead at his residence on Friday.

Later, other incidents were reported from Brighton Park, South Indiana, North Kedzie Avenue, Humboldt Park, etc, reports said.

A young man was shot dead while walking into a gas station in Brighton Park. Another man was killed in the Douglas area.

Two men were killed and two others were wounded in a drive-by shooting in West Englewood in southwest Chicago.

A 42-year-old man shot multiple times was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center (UChicago Medicine) in Hyde Park, where he was pronounced dead.

Another man, 48, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital adjacent to Douglass Park, where he succumbed to his wounds.

Some media reports said more than 40 people have been injured in the incidents of gun violence across the city over the weekend. 

Biden slammed: US saw more gun deaths in first year than Trump

The United States had over 40,000 gun deaths during President Joe Biden

Gun violence is regarded as one of the major social problems in the United States, with regular cases of shooting incidents, and even mass shootings reported in different US cities.

In recent weeks, the country has again witnessed a surge in gun violence amid unchecked use of firearms.

In Chicago itself, between October and December 2021, more than 617 people were fatally shot and at least 3,768 were wounded in gun violence across the city.

The year, according to US media, was one of the most violent in terms of gun violence in Chicago.

In the US, the right to possess arms is a fundamental right protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent research group, more than 140 mass shootings were reported in the country in the last four months.

The organization said that it has been collecting data daily from 7,500 sources and the number of incidents has been “reported and verified.”

In April 2021, months after assuming office, US President Joe Biden termed the gun violence in the US an "epidemic and an international embarrassment." 

"It is actually a public health crisis," Biden said. "We’re absolutely determined to make a change."

But the incidents have only spiked in the last year, leaving the Biden administration embarrassed.

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