Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to blame former President Richard Nixon for the high number of shootings over the Independence Day weekend.
More than 100 people were shot in Chicago, 19 of them fatally, from midnight Wednesday to midnight Monday, according to police.
Four of the violent incidents are considered mass shootings, including one on Thursday in a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side that left two women and an eight-year-old boy dead. Two other children were also seriously injured.
During a news conference Monday, Johnson said he had asked federal authorities for more resources, but he also appeared to blame Richard Nixon, who died three decades ago, for gun violence in the city.
“Unfortunately, the killing of black people has been accepted in this country for too long. Sixty years ago we had the opportunity to get to the root causes. People made fun of President Johnson and we ended up with Richard Nixon,” the mayor said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to blame Richard Nixon for gun violence in the city during a news conference Monday.
“I’m going to work hard every day to transform this city. That’s what it takes to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago.”
Johnson called for those responsible for the shootings to be held accountable, but stressed that he believes the solution to gun violence is to direct more funding to communities.
“We’re here today talking about a violent weekend due to generations of disinvestment and deep disenfranchisement in the very communities where much of the violence has taken place,” Johnson said.
“What we have experienced over the weekend is unacceptable and we did not get here overnight, but everyone knows that. Let’s tell the full story of how we got here… the fact is that where there is the most violence is where poverty is most widespread.
“We have to hold people accountable, but you know what my ultimate goal is? To transform this city so that we can cut off the opportunity for kids between the ages of 10 and 19 to be victims or perpetrators. So yeah, it’s personal.”
At least 10 of those shot over the weekend were in the 15th Police District, where the mayor has his home, according to WL S.
One of those victims was Melvin Hill, a 36-year-old father, who was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on his kitchen floor inside his apartment on Central, near the West End in South Austin.
More than 100 people were shot in Chicago, 19 of them fatally, from midnight Wednesday to midnight Monday.
Four of the violent incidents are considered mass shootings, including one Thursday in a South Side Chicago neighborhood that left two women and an 8-year-old boy dead.
Chicago has suffered so many gun violence murders that the city is now offering to pay $1,500 in funeral costs to help grieving families.
The funds will be paid as part of the Victims Emergency Supplemental Fund and will provide families with finances to help bury their loved ones.
Shooting victims can also receive $1,000 to help cover basic needs such as medical and grocery bills, as well as up to $1,000 for temporary relocation costs.
The program already exists in the city after being implemented in five communities in 2022, but is now being expanded to 15 more across the city.
Johnson announced the plans saying the move was a step in the right direction and could help mitigate the problem of gun violence. Critics have said the creation of the fund is a disturbing sign of how the Windy City has been transformed.