Chicago sees another violent weekend with 5 people killed and 33 shot including a 16-year-old boy near ‘The Bean’

THIRTY-three people were shot in Chicago this weekend, including five fatally, in a spate of violence that has led to a new curfew in the city’s popular tourist area.

Among those killed this weekend was a 16-year-old boy, who police say was shot near the famous “Bean” statue at Millennium Park.

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Seandell Holliday, 16, was one of five people killed this past weekend in Chicago[/caption]

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Police said the 16-year-old, who was later identified as Seandell Holliday, was shot in the chest as crowds gathered near The Bean. He died at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

A 17-year-old was arrested in that shooting and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, authorities said.

Police officers also arrested a 16-year-old who was carrying a 9mm “ghost gun”, WGNTV reported.

Hours later, police reported that two children opened fire on a group of people in the same area, hitting one man in the neck while another man was shot in the hand, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

In total, 26 minors and five adults were arrested on Saturday night. Officers also recovered eight guns from the premises.

The violence led Mayor Lori Lightfoot to announce a new curfew on Sunday that’s effective immediately for minors in Millennium Park, the area where the incidents occurred over the weekend.

Lightfoot said that the curfew would prevent minors from entering Millennium Park without a “responsible adult” after 6pm, Thursday through Sunday.

No plans have been released on how the city will enforce the curfew or deal with violations, according to WGNTV.

“We, as a city, can not allow any of our public spaces to become platforms for danger,” Lightfoot said.

“Anyone coming into our public spaces should expect to enjoy them peacefully and must respect and exhibit basic community norms of decency. We simply will not accept anything less.”

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown made a plea to parents on Sunday to assist the city in keeping residents of all ages safe.

“We as parents, as difficult a job as it’s been these past two years, have a responsibility to our kids and to the city at large to ensure there’s adult supervision,” Brown said.

“As you saw last night, things happen quickly, and can’t you imagine the phone call to the parents whose kids were downtown, to come pick me up because someone was shot and killed?”

The ACLU has expressed disapproval about the proposed curfew, saying that it will lead to more unnecessary stops, arrests and further strain relations between the Chicago Police Department and young people of color.

Shootings in the downtown Chicago area have risen since last year, local media reported. Incidents in one police district increased 60percent from last year to May 8, 2022, according to ABC 7.

Other crimes, including murder, robbery, theft, and battery, have also reportedly been on the rise.

Other instances of violence this weekend included a double shooting that killed a 40-year-old man after a car crash on Friday evening.

On Saturday afternoon, a 34-year-old man was shot and killed while standing along the road. Later that evening, a 19-year-old man was killed after someone shot into the house he was in around 5.30pm.

And on Sunday, a 13-year-old was shot while standing on a sidewalk with a group of people around 1.45 am. He was hospitalized in fair condition.

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Footage from the weekend showed crowds alongside police tape near The Bean[/caption]