22 people shot Saturday into Sunday morning, 3 fatally, in Chicago

Twenty-two people were shot Saturday night into early Sunday, with three of those people dying from their injuries, according to Chicago police.

One of those homicides came on Saturday, which meant it counted in July month-end statistics released by Chicago police Sunday. It was the second year in a row with more than 100 homicides during the month. July 2021 saw 105 homicides, while July 2020 saw 107.

In contrast, there were 44 homicides in July 2019 and 64 in July 2018. The Police Department said more than 90 per cent of this July's homicides were the result of gun violence.

The Saturday homicide happened in the West Pullman neighborhood, during a shooting that also left two others injured. Police were called to the 11600 block of South Peoria Street about 10:15 p.m. and found the three shooting victims, who had been standing near a group of people having an argument when shots were fired, according to a police media notification.

A 28-year-old man was shot in the face and chest, and he was taken to Roseland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He had not been identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as of Sunday.

Another man, 31, was shot in the chest, and he was listed in serious condition at Stroger Hospital. A woman, 33, was shot in the hand and she was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where her condition was stabilized.

Also Saturday night, two people were in critical condition after they were shot in the 2600 block of West Gladys Avenue around 9:15 p.m. by someone in a red sedan, police said. A man, 28, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and he was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition and a 28-year-old woman suffered similar wounds and was in the same condition at Mount Sinai Hospital.

At 9:23 p.m., in the 6400 block of South King Drive, two men were shot by someone who came up to them on foot and opened fire. A 35-year-old man was shot in the right shoulder and a 36-year-old man was shot in the buttocks. They were dropped off at St. Bernard Hospital and the University of Chicago Medical Center, respectively, and both had been listed in fair condition, police said.

The number of shootings and the number of victims are up so far this year, according to the month-end statistics.

Between Jan. 1 and July 31, Chicago saw nearly 200 more shootings than it had during the same period in 2020.

There have also been just over 250 more shooting victims this year than there had been at the same time last year, though homicides have held steady.

Shootings and shooting victims had already seen a significant bump between 2019 and 2020. By the end of July 2020, there had been 737 more shooting victims than there had been by the same date in 2019.

The department said it had recovered 7,289 guns so far in 2021, up 28 per cent from this time last year.

In July, the city recorded a 20-year low in burglaries, the department said.

Two more people were fatally shot on Sunday, and there were three separate shootings with two or more victims.

Minutes before 3 a.m., in the 2700 block of West Jackson Boulevard on the Near West Side, two men were shot, one of them fatally, police said.

A 30-year-old and a 36-year-old had been standing outside when someone shot them. They were both taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where the 30-year-old was pronounced dead with gunshot wounds to the stomach and chest. The other man, 36, was shot once in the chest and he was listed in serious condition.

Around 12:20 a.m. a 32-year-old man was fatally shot in the South Shore neighborhood, according to police.

The man had been standing in the 7200 block of South Bennett Avenue when someone shot him multiple times in the chest. He was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition and later was pronounced dead.

Neither of the men killed Sunday had been identified by the medical examiner's office.

Since Friday afternoon, a total of 55 people had been shot, including four fatalities, according to records maintained by the Tribune.