55 shot, 10 fatally, in Chicago weekend gun violence

CHICAGO - Ten people were killed and 45 more, including two Chicago police officers and a 15-year-old boy, were wounded in shootings across Chicago over the weekend.

Ahead of the weekend, Chicago police braced for protests in the city in the wake of civil unrest north of the Illinois border sparked by the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake. The department’s new Critical Incident Response team, consisting of about 200 officers, was deployed downtown. Seven people were arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest at Loyola University Saturday, while a march downtown that day ended with no arrests.

Last weekend, 66 people were shot throughout the city, five of them fatally.

Sunday

The latest fatal attack left one man dead and four other people injured Sunday afternoon at a restaurant in Morgan Park. About 1:50 p.m., a man was dining under a tent at Lumes Pancake House, 11601 S. Western Ave., when a white-colored SUV pulled up and someone inside fired shots in his direction, Chicago police and fire officials said. Devon Welsh, 31, was struck multiple times and taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Authorities believe he was the intended target.

Four other people were also struck, police said. A man and woman, both 32, were shot in their legs and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where they were stabilized. A 43-year-old woman was shot in the abdomen and buttocks and taken to the same hospital, where she was also stabilized. Another woman, 30, was shot in the foot. She was in good condition at Little Company of Mary Hospital.

Earlier that morning, a man was killed and a woman was injured in Gresham on the South Side. The 34-year-old man was standing outside about 5 a.m. in the 1100 block of West 87th Street when two males approached and opened fire, police said. He was hit multiple times in the face and upper body and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died. The woman, 36, was standing just inside the doorway of a nearby home when she was shot in the foot. She was taken in fair condition to Little Company of Mary Hospital.

Less than two hours before that, another man was shot to death in Back of the Yards on the South Side. Chauncey Ali Jr., 29, was shot in the head while leaving a party about 3:40 a.m. in the 900 block of West Garfield Boulevard, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

About an hour and a half earlier, another man was found shot to death in South Chicago. Officers responding to ShotSpotter alerts for eight gunshots at 2:09 a.m. found the 61-year-old man on a parkway in the 8400 block of South Commercial Avenue with a gunshot wound to his head, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Saturday

Two men were killed within hours of each other Saturday in Englewood.

A 54-year-old man was shot in the back about 8:20 p.m. while driving in the 6200 block of South Racine Avenue, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.

About five hours earlier, officers responding to a call of a person shot found 40-year-old Jason Carson unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the chest in the 5600 block of South Emerald Avenue, authorities said. He was also taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Friday night

Four people were killed in less than two hours Friday evening across the city. Two of those people died just minutes apart in separate shootings in Burnside and Humboldt Park.

In Burnside, a 31-year-old woman and another female were on the sidewalk about 8:38 p.m. in the 800 block of East 88th Place when they heard shots and felt pain, police said. The female, whose age wasn’t immediately known, was shot in the torso and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died. The 31-year-old was shot in her thigh and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in fair condition.

Less than 10 minutes earlier, one man was shot to death and another was wounded at a gas station in Humboldt Park. They were at a gas station in the 900 block of North Pulaski Road around 8:30 p.m. when someone drove up and shot them, police said. Jamil Williamson, 21, was struck multiple times and pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, authorities said. The other man, 20, later showed up there and was treated for a gunshot wound to a shoulder. He was in good condition.

A man was killed and a woman was critically wounded in a shooting just over an hour earlier in Back of the Yards. They were on a porch with a third person about 7:17 p.m. in the 900 block of West 50th Street when someone in a passing SUV unleashed gunfire, police said. A 39-year-old man was shot multiple times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A 66-year-old woman was struck in the shoulder and taken to the same hospital in critical condition.

About 15 minutes earlier, a man was fatally shot in Mayfair on the Northwest Side. He was on the sidewalk about 7 p.m. in the 4600 block of North Kasson Avenue when someone approached in a dark-colored SUV and opened fire, police said. The 18-year-old was struck in the abdomen and chest, and died at Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Nonfatal shootings

Two Chicago police officers and a teenage boy were among the dozens of people injured by gunfire over the weekend.

The officers were shot and the suspected gunman was wounded by police early Sunday after a traffic stop in Homan Square on the West Side. The shooting happened at 2:33 a.m. in the 3300 block of West Polk Street, police said. Both officers were taken to Stroger Hospital by other police officers. One officer was shot twice on the left side and was in serious condition, officials said. He underwent surgery for lung and abdominal injuries, and was still in hospital care Sunday evening. The other officer suffered a gunshot wound to his left shoulder and was in good condition. He was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon. The suspect was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in fair condition. Authorities expect all three to survive.

A teenage boy was shot Sunday evening in Woodlawn on the South Side. Someone in a silver sedan shot the 15-year-old about 8:30 p.m. as he walked in the 1200 block of East 63rd Street, police said. The teen was dropped off at Jackson Park Hospital in critical condition.

At least 34 other people were injured by gunfire in Chicago between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.