A weekend in Chicago turned deadly, with eight people killed and 43 left wounded. At least one was a teenager, and police are wondering how the violence could have escalated across the city and left so many hurt.
"None of it is OK," Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy told NBCChicago.com. "And I don't want it to seem like we're managing it, but the realistic expectations have to be over the long-term," he stated.
It is believed that the majority of violence was gang-related. Two were shot during a party in the Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood last night. A pair of siblings was shot as they sat in their vehicle; an SUV approached the vehicle, opened fire and killed 21-year-old Derrick Wilkerson and injured his 19-year-old brother.
Kenneth Jones, 27, was killed when a robbery went awry, and Rashuan Stephany, 22, and Mario Jackson, 26, died later. The youngest victim of the weekend was 16-year-old Joseph Briggs. He was killed just outside his home in Marquette Park.
It is believed that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, his grandmother told the Chicago Sun-Times.
"There's been a lot of shootings on this block," Josephine Briggs explained. "Once I bury him, I'm going to try and move."
"He had a nice personality," Briggs added. "He was always smiling. Every time you see him he got a big smile on his face; he was just a happy grandson."
Even though the overall crime rate is down by 10 percent in the city, McCarthy told the public, "Crime reduction is a process. We implement the strategies and the question is are we doing better than we were last year. And the answer is yes."
"It's not something we want to declare victory about, but it's progress. You have to have that perspective, and it's the reality," McCarthy added.
"Pray for Chicago, the city where I was born, Pastor Frank Reid tweeted. "40 shootings this weekend, 5 deaths! God bless and heal Chi town!"
As the number of deceased continued to grow, people reacted with astonishment at the inane violence that occurred in a single weekend.
"Chicago is a beautiful, yet very dangerous city," tweeted Cory Baxter. "Shootings left and right."
"Over 40 shootings over the weekend??? Really Chicago??" questioned Tyomi.
Watch Mayor McCarthy address the shootings that occurred on Memorial Day weekend HERE:
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