Police Protect Alderman Who Has Denounced Gang-Related Shootings
(CBS) – A Chicago alderman is under police protection after speaking out against gang-related shootings in his ward.
CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.
Chicago police kept watch in front of 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez's office on Monday, after he reportedly was threatened by gang members in the community.
Lopez declined to discuss the reports, saying, "This singular event that has been referenced towards me today pales in comparison to what my residents deal with daily."
The alleged threat comes the day after a mass shooting in the Brighton Park neighborhood that left two people dead and eight injured.
Friends gathered for a memorial, and police say the shooting was retaliation for an earlier gang killing.
"Gang banger threaten the way of life in our community," Lopez says.
A Monday night event police called "Operation Wake Up" drew dozens of supportive residents, at least one protester.
The woman who screamed obscenities at Lopez identified herself as the sister of the man shot and killed Sunday.
"What happened yesterday -- no one's feeling safe," Chicago Police Capt. Warren Richards said.
