Activists urge Pritzker to issue state of emergency over violence in Chicago
CHICAGO - To combat ongoing violence, local activists are now begging Gov. Pritzker to declare a state of emergency.
Their demands include more mental health resources, massive job programs and youth activities.
"You got racial and economic injustice, high incarceration rates, high unemployment and poor schools," says Jahmal Cole of My Block My Hood My City.
Pam Bosley’s son Terrell was shot and killed right in front of a church at 116th & Halsted in 2006.
His killer remains unidentified.
"Every single day, I’m trying to bury another child and that hurts," said Bosley.
Requests for help at the state level comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared an emergency for gun violence in New York State.
Over Fourth of July weekend, 51 people were shot in New York.
In Chicago, more than 100 people were shot over the holiday weekend, and 18 died.
Chicago’s death toll is now at 357 people killed this year.