16 People Shot This Fourth Of July Compared To 7 Last Year
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police admit shootings are up so far this holiday weekend compared to last year. There were 33 victims between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Friday. Three died.
The uptick in violence comes despite focused efforts by police to saturate the city with officers over the holiday.
One of the holiday's fatal shootings took the life of a 22-year-old woman. Her family feels like the strategies aren't working, but anti-violence community groups say it's too soon to tell.
It's been a long, tragic week for Brandy Martin.
Last week, her sister was hit by a train at the 69th Street Red Line station.
On Thursday night, police say her daughter, Akeelah Addison Martin, was celebrating in the street in the 4200 block of South Wells when an unknown man approached her and fatally shot her in the head. Addison was taking business classes and working toward her goal of owning a salon.
"I want the world to know that I need justice for my child right along with many other parents that need justice as well. Now I know what it feels like to be empty," Brandy Martin said.
This year, 16 people were shot on the 4th of July not including the early morning hours of July 5.
That's up from Independence Day last year when seven people were wounded in shootings across the city.
"There's always been murders. There's always been crime, but it's never been vicious," Martin said.
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson acknowledged the rise Thursday afternoon.
"As we look at them, and we look at our crime hourly, we are up a little bit, but let's let the rest of the weekend play out and see where we end up," he said.
In addition to 1,500 additional officers on the streets, several community partners patrolled through the night, including the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.
On Friday, the group's executive director explained that numbers are up in part because there were several shooting incidents that produced multiple gunshot victims.
And he's still somewhat optimistic about the effectiveness of CPD's "Summer Safety Initiative".
"I do see a new intensity, new intentionality and new resources," said Teny Gross, executive director of the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.
Gross said they need to see how the rest of the summer plays out.
Addison Martin's family is asking anyone with information about what happened to come forward to police.
Police say they have no one in custody. Area Central detectives were investigating.
Chicago police also said that between July 3 and Friday evening, they've made 30 gun arrests.
