109 shot, 19 dead in Chicago over the holiday weekend
Over the holiday weekend, 109 people were shot in Chicago between the morning of Thursday, July 4, and the night of Sunday, July 7. There were 19 fatalities, including an 8-year-old child and two mothers.
The violence included four mass shootings, prompting Chicago’s Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson, D, to hold a joint news conference on the morning of July 8.
“Sometimes this violence comes out of petty arguments,” Snelling said. “People who’ve been together all day, they come together as a group, they’ve been drinking, tempers flare and people decide they’re going to air out their differences through violence, especially gun violence.”
Police report that some of the wounded victims are still fighting for their lives. This violence represents a 27% increase in the Windy City during the same time period in 2023.
Snelling emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable.
“What we want to do is make sure we provide all the services we can,” he said. “But we also want to prevent this type of behavior. The only way to do that is to apprehend those who are committing these crimes and then hold them accountable, keeping them off the streets so that they can’t do it again.”
Mayor Johnson expressed heartbreak and concern about the easy availability of illegal guns. He praised the Chicago Police for working tirelessly to keep the city safe but urged everyone to play a role in stopping the vicious cycle of violence.
“We need our entire city to step up in this moment,” Johnson said. “I’m urging all of you across the entire city to say we’ve had enough. Let me be clear: This is a choice. It’s a choice to kill.”
Johnson also attended a rally on Friday, July 5, to “promote bonding, support and healing.”
Police disclosed that several of the people shot over the holiday weekend were 15 to 16 years old.
Why there are more mass shootings, violence in summer
It’s no secret that violence and shootings seem to surge in the summertime and the most violent day of the year is here: Independence Day. Historically, Independence Day is also one of the deadliest days of the year when it comes to violence and mass shootings.
According to the Gun Violence Archive — which tracks mass shootings involving four or more people, regardless of whether they died — June, July and August have had the highest total number of mass shootings over the past decade.
Independence Day topped the list over the last 10 years, with 58 mass shootings. July 5 came in as the second biggest day for mass shootings.
A criminologist with Northeastern University said the rising temperatures likely have a lot to do with the spike in violence in the summer. It has been scientifically proven the heat can make people angrier and more aggressive.
But specifically, he said Independence Day is one of the worst days for gun violence, not just because of how hot it is, but because people aren’t working or in school and instead, they are gathering, making it easier to get in arguments or fights. He also said some of that spills over past midnight into July 5, which is why it sees the second highest number of mass shootings each year, historically.
Statistically, mass killings are far more likely to happen at a home. Most often, the victims know the shooter, according to The Associated Press.
Summer officially started on June 20 and in the first week alone, AP said at least eight mass shootings were reported across the country — several of those at large parties.
Overall, of the 10 most violent days of the year, nine are in the heat of summer. The one exception is Jan. 1, as people gather to celebrate the new year.
Credit card companies face competing state laws over gun store code
As of July 1, a California law requires credit card networks to give banks a code to track purchases at gun stores. On the same day, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee and Wyoming have laws taking effect that block the use of a gun shop code in those states.
Merchant category codes are meant to provide a global standard for financial transactions. But this reaction to a code for gun stores is anything but standardized.
“This is an effort to use the private sector to do an end run around the prohibition on the federal government’s building of a registry of gun owners,” Illinois gun shop owner Dan Eldridge told The Associated Press.
Merchant category codes (MCC) are used wherever people shop. Swipe a card at an antique store? That’s MCC 5932. Charge a visit to the dentist? That’s MCC 8021. According to Visa’s merchant data standards manual, guns and ammunition shops will sport MCC 5723.
“What we’re advocating for with this code is closing one of those exemptions where the gun industry is not treated like every other business, even though it should be,” said Hudson Munoz, the executive director of Guns Down America.
The four-digit code came about in 2022 after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) voted to add the unique ID. Credit card companies had been pushing back on it for years but the big ones appeared ready to accept the global standard.
Then came the lawmakers. Seventeen states have passed measures prohibiting or limiting the use of a gun store code, while California, Colorado and New York are in the process of requiring it.
At this point, California’s law simply requires credit card companies to provide the four-digit code to banks. California banks have until May 1, 2025, to decide which of their business clients are guns-and-ammunition shops and assign this code to them.
While Eldridge’s Illinois store is not yet impacted, Illinois’ attorney general has come out in support of the merchant code.
“How is an operation that crosses state lines, say a big box store or a chain of retailers, how are they supposed to comply with colliding state laws,” Eldridge questioned. “I don’t know how you do that.”
Straight Arrow News reached out to Visa, Mastercard and American Express to ask how they plan to abide by these competing state laws.
“We will only require use of the MCC where required by law. We are committed to complying with local legal requirements,” Mastercard told SAN in a statement.
Last year, Visa said, “These legislative actions disrupt the intent of global standards and create significant confusion and legal uncertainty in the payments ecosystem.”
Advocates for the merchant code hope banks can use it to flag suspicious buying behavior ahead of a mass shooting.
Guns Down America said in 2016, the Pulse nightclub shooter, who killed 49 people in Orlando, Florida, charged $26,000 on credit cards to buy guns and ammo in a 12-day span. In 2017, the Las Vegas shooter who killed 60 at a country music festival charged $94,000 on credit cards to buy guns and ammo over a 12-month period.
“Our hope and belief is that because of that oversight, we’ll see a decline in active shooter situations, and we’ll see the banking system closing its door to gun traffickers,” Munoz said.
But those against the code see it as a way to target law-abiding gun buyers.
“This is a normal, protected, lawful activity,” Eldridge said. “And to carve it out as something that needs to be identified and data-mined for evil really sets a very bad tone for how gun ownership, lawful gun ownership, is viewed, while simultaneously adding zero predictive value in its stated purpose of detecting patterns that the mass shooters may engage in.”
The code would not reveal to banks and credit cards what a person buys, only where they buy it. There’s no set standard for flagging what would be considered suspicious behavior.
For his part, Eldridge has put an ATM in his store for customers who’d prefer to pay in cash.
FBI: Active shooter incidents down 4% last year, up 89% over past 5 years
The FBI has released the annual active shooter report. The report found that 2023 saw fewer active shooting incidents than 2022, leading to a 4% decrease. However, over the last five years, active shooter incidents have gone up 89%, according to the FBI.
The FBI defines “active shooter” as one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.
Though active shootings went down 4% from 2022 to 2023, that change is not a large one. There were just two fewer active shooter incidents in 2023 (48) than there were in 2022 (50).
Over the last five years, the FBI said there were 229 active shootings across the U.S., which is up 89% from the 121 active shootings in the five years between 2014 and 2018.
In 2023, 449 people were killed and 773 were wounded in the 48 active shootings.
More people died because of an active shooting incident in the last five years than the five years between 2014 and 2018, which included three of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.
Last year alone, 105 people were killed in active shootings and another 139 were hurt.
The shootings happened in 26 states. California had the most with eight, followed by Texas and Washington with four each.
The FBI’s report came just weeks after the federal government released preliminary numbers showing a 15% drop in violent crime during the first quarter of 2024 compared to last year.
Survey: Texas promised armed guards at every school, most don’t have them
In 2022, a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 kids and two teachers. State lawmakers said they were committed to never letting it happen again. Last year, the Texas Legislature passed a law that in part required an armed officer at every public school in the state. On Thursday, June 13, a Hearst Newspapers analysis found that nine months after the law was passed, most of the schools in the state have not implemented the requirement.
The survey found that of 100 random school districts around Texas, 52 had adopted an exemption in the law to avoid the armed guard requirement known as the “Good Cause Exception,” which allows for a district to opt-out of the requirement if it lacked funding or personnel.
Some district leaders that didn’t adopt the requirement claim that lawmakers did not provide enough money to offset the costs of the added security measures.
One superintendent noted that the cost to hire an officer cost his district $80,000 while the state only gave the district $18,500 to cover the added security expense.
Meanwhile, some districts that complied with the law are now in debt because of the added requirement and others have had to raise money to hire security locally. Several district leaders said that they were already struggling financially because of stagnant funding and inflation.
State Sen. Robert Nichols, R, who helped pass the legislation, admits that lawmakers “set a standard that is not attainable.” However, he blamed the problem on the lack of police officers in the state. Still, he thinks the law is progress.
“I think this was a success because it spurred some districts to hire additional security, even if most weren’t in full compliance.”
When asked about those who used the Good Cause Exclusion, he said, “What would you do? Shut down those campuses and not educate the kids?”
Under the exemption, school districts must still adopt alternative plans, like rotating officers between campuses or showing intent to hire more officers. Another option is to train and arm school staff, which some school districts have done.
Despite the lack of compliance with armed guards, even if all districts did have armed officers, the data is inconclusive. School safety experts said that there is no comprehensive research on whether or not armed guards prevent or minimize school shootings.
Graduation day is bittersweet for Sandy Hook shooting survivors
Graduation day is bittersweet for high school seniors and their families everywhere, but perhaps more so for a group of students walking the stage Wednesday, June 12, in Newtown, Connecticut. While 330 students are graduating high school there, 350 names will be read out because of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The 20 extra names will be those of the students whose lives were taken too soon on a December day in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. That’s when a gunman went into two first-grade classrooms and opened fire, killing 20 students and six educators.
Ahead of their graduation, survivors of that day reflected.
“The what-ifs kind of spoil a lot of precious moments, you know, just because you always remember that they’re not there,” Ella Seaver said. “So, even going to prom, you think, ‘Well, what if they were my prom date?’ Or, you know, ‘What if they were my significant other? What if they were able to walk the stage with me. Who would I still be friends with now?’”
The children who survived the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, will be graduating high school with mixed emotions.
— Newtown Action Alliance (@NewtownAction) June 11, 2024
The class of 2024 is wearing green and white ribbons on their graduation gowns that say “forever in our hearts” as another way to memorialize their classmates who never got to make it to this milestone. However, that’s not all they’re doing.
A group of seniors who survived the shooting have been active in the Junior Newtown Action Alliance’s efforts to end gun violence — even taking part in a rally on Friday, June 7, just days ahead of walking the stage.
“I wanted to turn such a terrible thing into something more, and that these children and educators didn’t die for nothing,” survivor Lilly Wasilnak said. “Of course it was awful what happened to them, and it should have never happened. But I think that for me, something bigger needed to come out of it, or else it would have been all for nothing.”
Uvalde to pay $2 million to families of victims of Robb Elementary shooting
The families of victims of the Robb Elementary School mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers have been awarded $2 million from the city of Uvalde, Texas. The settlement comes nearly two years to the day that a gunman opened fire at the Uvalde elementary school on May 24, 2022.
The $2 million paid out to families comes after heavy criticism of responding officers, who reportedly waited 77 minutes before entering the school and eventually killing the gunman. During the press conference on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, the attorney representing the families criticized the lack of punishment for any police officers.
“Had the law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices… lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said to reporters at the time.
The money from the city will now go to families of 17 of the children killed and two who survived. The city has also agreed to enhance officer training and mental health services for families, victims and residents. In addition, Uvalde will create a memorial with the help of the families and a day of recognition for the victims.
“Pursuing further legal action against the City could have plunged Uvalde into bankruptcy, something that none of the families, were interested in as they look for the community to heal,” the families’ attorneys said in a statement.
Biden hosts White House state dinner before trilateral summit
Prominent figures come together at the White House as President Joe Biden hosts a state dinner for the Japanese Prime Minister, and outrage from Democrats over the Arizona Supreme Court’s abortion ruling leads to shouting in the state house. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Biden hosts state dinner at White House before trilateral summit
The White House is set for the inaugural trilateral summit with leaders from the U.S., Japan and the Philippines on April 11, following Wednesday, April 10, night’s glamorous state dinner hosted by Biden for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Earlier, Biden and Kishida strengthened military and economic ties, agreeing on collaborative defense strategies and Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon mission.
The alliance between Japan and the United States is a cornerstone of peace, security, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. – @POTUSpic.twitter.com/KZ0TJfZOXs
On April 11, Biden meets with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos before the summit, emphasizing Indo-Pacific unity.
3 Injured in shooting at Ramadan celebration in Philadelphia
Three people were injured during a shooting at a Ramadan celebration in Philadelphia on April 10, resulting in five arrests. Police said the incident occurred as about 1,000 attendees gathered in a park and was sparked by gunfire between two feuding groups, with around 30 shots fired.
A 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Four individuals, aged 15 to 21, were arrested while leaving the park, each carrying weapons. Additionally, a 15-year-old boy, who was armed, was shot in the leg by police and is in stable condition; the involved officer has been placed on administrative duty.
A 15-year-old girl also suffered a fractured leg after being struck by a police vehicle responding to the scene. The incident is still under investigation.
Hamas says it does not have 40 hostages for cease-fire trade
Israel believes that of the 130 hostages remaining, at least 30 are dead and the rest are likely held by various factions within Hamas. During a proposed six-week cease-fire, negotiators have recommended that Hamas release 40 hostages, prioritizing women, and sick and elderly men, in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
As Hamas faces difficulties in meeting the criteria for releasing 40 women and elderly men, Israel is pressing for the inclusion of younger male hostages and soldiers to complete the initial release group.
Republicans in Arizona House block debate on repealing abortion ban
Republican lawmakers in the Arizona State House halted efforts to repeal a 1864 law, recently upheld by the state Supreme Court, banning abortions except to save a woman’s life.
GOP leaders stopped discussion on the repeal, proposed by Democrats and some Republicans, and adjourned for the week, sparking Democratic outrage. A Democratic representative criticized the court’s “extreme” decision, while a Republican called the Democrats’ actions “extremist and insurrectionist.”
GOP leaders stated the ruling has not yet taken effect and will review the decision for future actions.
Speaker Johnson to meet with former President Trump at Mar-A-Lago
Johnson’s trip to Florida is seen as an effort to demonstrate solidarity with Trump, as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and others challenge his leadership. After threatening to oust Johnson, Greene met with him for an hour on Wednesday.
Additionally, Johnson contends with conservative opposition, spurred by Trump, to extending a key surveillance program. The proposed legislation allows the U.S. to collect, without a warrant, communications of non-Americans abroad for intelligence.
Brothers hit home runs in same inning on Siblings Day
On National Siblings Day, brothers Josh and Bo Naylor, both of the Cleveland Guardians, celebrated memorably by hitting home runs in the same inning during a game against the Chicago White Sox. Josh’s solo home run came first in the fourth inning, followed by Bo’s two-run homer.
Additionally, in the 10th inning, both brothers contributed crucial hits leading to the Guardians’ 7-6 victory — Josh with a game-tying double and Bo with the game-winning single.
Michigan school shooter’s parents get 10-15 years in landmark case
For the first time in U.S. history, parents of a school shooter were both sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for a mass shooting at a high school in a Detroit, Michigan, suburb in 2021. On Tuesday, April 9, a judge sentenced James and Jennifer Crumbley after testimony from the victims’ family members.
“You failed as parents,” said Nicole Beausoleil, one of the mothers of a school shooting victim. “It will never be a loss that you have suffered, and it will never heal the pain because one day you’re going to be able to see your son; visit, hear his voice, possibly laugh, maybe see him grown. I will never see that again.”
A judge sentenced James and Jennifer Crumbley one after another. Their son, now-17-year-old Ethan Crumbley, is servinga life sentence in prison after pleading guilty as an adult to shooting and killing four of his classmates at Oxford High School on Nov. 21, 2022. A jury convicted Ethan’s parents of four counts of involuntary manslaughter as a result of the shooting.
Prosecutors said that Ethan’s parents could have prevented the shooting with “tragically simple actions.” In closing arguments, the prosecutor showed how a cable lock, found in a package at the family’s home, could have secured the gun.
James Crumbley told police that he bought the gun with Ethan just days before the shooting. A day after the gun purchase, Jennifer Crumbley took Ethan to the gun range.
The following week, a teacher said she found a note from Ethan. The note reportedly had a drawing and a person who had been shot. The message read: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.”
Subsequently, the school had a meeting with the Ethan’s parents about the contents of the note. However, the Crumbleys refused to take Ethan home and went back to work.
Later that afternoon, Ethan shot and killed four of his classmates. Officials with the school later said if they had known Ethan had a gun they would have been “more authoritative to ensure immediate safety.”
The Crumbleys are the first parents in U.S. history to be charged and convicted in their child’s mass shooting at a school.
As the trial concluded, both Jennifer and James Crumbley expressed regrets, however, Jennifer maintained she was a good parent. The hearing on Tuesday is the first time that both parents have been together since an earlier hearing in the fall.
Father of Michigan school shooter found guilty, faces 15 years in prison
James Crumbley, the father of the teenager Ethan Crumbley who carried out the deadly shooting at a Michigan high school in 2021, has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The tragedy left four students dead and several others injured. This verdict follows closely on the heels of similar charges against the shooter’s mother, Jennifer Crumbley.
At a news conference, county prosecutor Karen McDonald commended the families for their resilience in the face of immense tragedy and grief. “This verdict cannot replace their children, but it represents accountability and a step towards ending gun violence,” McDonald stated.
Defense attorney Mariell Lehman acknowledged the deep remorse James Crumbley feels over the school incident. Both he and his wife face between 10 to 15 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April 9. “We’re disappointed by the verdict, but we recognize the jury’s challenge,” Lehman said to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors in court argued that the Crumbleys neglected clear warning signs and criticized their failure to secure the firearm used in the shooting. They emphasized the parents’ neglect of a disturbing drawing on Ethan’s math homework hours before the shooting and the teen’s access to a Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun, bought by James just four days prior.
In 2021, Ethan took the Sig Sauer from his backpack and started shooting, killing Justin Shilling, 17; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Tate Myre, 16, on the same day. Additionally, six students and a faculty member were wounded. He was sentenced to life in prison.
According to The New York Times, this case marks the first instance in the U.S. where parents have been directly charged for deaths resulting from a mass shooting conducted by their child.