Emergency.Blog

Bloody Start To Weekend: No Fewer Than 20 Shot

Apr 19, 2008 7:19 am US/Central

Bloody Start To Weekend: No Fewer Than 20 Shot

But Police Point Out Shootings, Murders Down So Far In 2008

CHICAGO, IL: It was a violent night all across the city, with no fewer than 20 people shot on the streets from Friday afternoon through early Saturday. The shootings have sent more than a dozen to area hospitals and three to the county morgue. Nine of the shootings happened in a period of less than two hours on Friday night.

The most serious shooting happened when the night was still fairly young, at 9:30 p.m. Two teens were shot dead in the 7500 block of South Phillips Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

Police say gunmen jumped out of a car and opened fire. One of the teens suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and back, the other was shot in the neck, police said.

Melvin Thomas, of 14922 Washington Ave. in Harvey was pronounced dead at the Stein Institute at 1:20 a.m. Rhonell Savala, of 9750 S. Hoxie Ave. in Chicago, was pronounced dead at 12:50 a.m. Saturday at the Stein Institute. Both were only 18.

Story source/continues at: http://cbs2chicago.com/local/shootings.across.city.2.703725.html

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ERRI emergency service analyst comment: Ahhh...Spring...when a young gang members's thoughts turn to taking over another block or two, where gangs can sell drugs, guns, prostitutes, and engage in extortion. A retired Chicago emergency services chief, and long-time ERRI analyst, said today that the annual Spring territorial conflict between gangs must be underway.

"Almost every Spring we see a rash of shootings as territorial disputes break out and these are usually followed by targeted and/or drive-by shootings to ultimately settle the problems, as the gang members might see them," the chief said.

He added, "One Spring a few years ago, I responded to no less than three multi-casualty shootings in one shift...with a total of 23 people shot."

"One incident that day involved 11 people shot over a five-six square block area, by two assailants on a motorcycle and using an automatic weapon (Mac 10/11, 9mm)," he concluded.