7 Killed, 38 Injured in Chicago Weekend Shootings
A wave of gun violence swept across Chicago over the Juneteenth holiday weekend, leaving seven people dead and at least 38 others wounded in more than two dozen separate shooting incidents, according to Chicago police. The bloodshed has reignited a bitter political feud between President Donald Trump and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker over federal intervention in the nation’s third-largest city.
The Violence
The shootings began Thursday evening and continued through early Monday, with victims ranging in age from 14 to 70, according to AP News. The deadliest single incident occurred around 11 p.m. Friday in the Roseland neighborhood on the South Side, where a red SUV pulled alongside a crowd and two suspects opened fire, wounding 12 people between the ages of 17 and 47.
Among the deceased was a 14-year-old boy shot multiple times Thursday night in the 8000 block of South Carpenter Street. He was a member of the Midwest Hawks youth football team, who said in a statement: “There are no words that can ease the pain of a loss like this.”
Other victims included Mario Price, 29, killed in a drive-by shooting in West Pullman on Friday evening, and an 18-year-old man shot and killed inside a home in the Austin neighborhood on Saturday night. A 17-year-old boy was taken into custody in connection with that incident.
Political Fallout
President Trump seized on the violence Sunday morning, posting on Truth Social: “Lots of Killing going on in Chicago. Why isn’t Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!!”
The post marks the latest escalation in a long-running dispute between Trump and Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender who has repeatedly rebuffed the president’s offers to deploy National Guard troops and federal law enforcement to Chicago. Pritzker has previously described Trump’s offers as a “dangerous power grab,” telling the president, “Do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has publicly criticized Pritzker for declining federal assistance, citing crime reductions in Washington, D.C., after federal intervention there.
Local Response
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the violence, saying in a post on X: “What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.” He added: “Violence has no place in our city, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
The Juneteenth holiday — which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — was marked Friday by the opening of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side, where former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors.
Broader Context
Chicago has experienced a significant decline in violent crime over the past several years, in line with national trends. By 2025, shooting incidents had dropped to 1,471, and shooting victims fell to 1,847. However, Chicago Police Department data shows a slight uptick in shooting incidents in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
The weekend’s violence was not isolated to Chicago. Other major U.S. cities also experienced gun violence: in Philadelphia, two people were killed and two wounded; in Cincinnati, a shooting killed three; and in Kansas City, Missouri, one person was killed and five wounded, according to the Associated Press.
What’s Next
It remains unclear whether Governor Pritzker will respond to Trump’s latest call for federal intervention. The city’s Department of Gun Violence Prevention is expected to outline new measures in the coming days. Meanwhile, Chicago police continue to investigate multiple crime scenes, with only one arrest reported so far.
The question hanging over the city is whether the uptick in shootings represents a temporary spike or the beginning of a reversal of the progress Chicago has made in reducing violent crime in recent years.