Chicago shootings at highest level in 4 years, police say
Homicides in Chicago are also up by 33% in comparison to the first three months of 2020
Chicago has seen an uptick in gun violence.
According to data collected by the Chicago Police Department, in March the city has experienced an increase in shootings and shooting victims, per CNN.
Homicides in Chicago are also up by 33% in comparison to the first three months of 2020. They are up by 40% when compared to the entire year.
Per The Chicago Police’s Monthly Crime Newsletter, there were 146 shootings and 175 victims in March of 2020 in comparison to 233 gun-related incidents and 298 shooting victims in March of 2021.
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Experts say larger cities are seeing a spike in violence and say the change may stem from social anxiety due to the pandemic, economic devastation and early release of criminal defendants due to the pandemic.
As reported by theGrio a young child in Minnesota was recently killed due to gun violence.
Minnesota police are trying to determine if charges should be filed after a 6-year-old boy died when “several unsupervised children” found a handgun and he was shot.
The shooting occurred on March 28 at an apartment in the 400 block of Sunrise Circle in the city of Moorhead. The boy, identified by his family as Marcellus “received a gunshot wound” and died from his injuries on the scene, the Moorhead police department said. None of the other children were injured. PEOPLE reports that the Clay County Attorney’s Office is now trying to decide whether charges will be filed in this case of adult negligence that resulted in the preventable death of a child.
The boy’s grandmother, Renee Williams, organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds “to cover the funeral cost as well as emotional support for his siblings and those who were affected by this tragic accident,” the campaign states.
“Marcellus was left in a home without proper supervision and a weapon was found. Marcellus and a few other children found a loaded gun not knowing that the gun was real or loaded pulled the trigger instantly ending Marcellus life,” Williams wrote.
“This was a tragic accident that could have been prevented,” she added. “May this serve as a reminder that guns need to be locked away and out of reach of children.”
According to the GoFundMe donor page, Marcellus “loved to play video games and play with his friends. He loved junk food especially when he wasn’t supposed to have it. He loved to read and going to school every day. In school he was known for being respectful and a good friend to many. At home, he was the third oldest he loved being around his siblings and his family.”
The campaign describes the boy as “a great kid who was destined for great things.”
Marcellus and his siblings were at a family member’s home when the shooting occurred. During the investigation, police recovered the gun inside the apartment.
*Additional reporting by Ny Magee
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