According to NBC Chicago, at least 54 people were shot in Chicago this Labor Day weekend, with seven fatalities, at a time when the city’s mayor has vowed to block President Donald Trump’s efforts to combat crime.
The shootings occurred in a series of unrelated incidents, the majority of which resulted in no arrests, according to police.
Trump has indicated that he may deploy the National Guard and other federal law enforcement to combat crime in the city.
This weekend’s fatal shootings have killed at least two women and three men, as well as two others who police have not identified. The names of those who died have not been released by authorities.
On Saturday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an executive order prohibiting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities.
“This executive order makes it emphatically clear that this president is not going to come in and deputize our police department,” Johnson stated during a news conference with other city leaders.
The mayor’s order states that Chicago police officers will continue to enforce state and local laws, but they will not collaborate with the National Guard or federal agents on patrols, arrests, immigration enforcement, or other law enforcement activities.
“We will protect our Constitution, we will protect our city, and we will protect our people,” according to him. “We do not want to see tanks on our streets. We don’t want to see families torn apart. We don’t want grandmothers thrown into the back of unmarked vans. We don’t want federal agents harassing or disappearing homeless Chicagoans.
On Saturday, the White House dismissed Johnson’s order, claiming that Democrats were attempting to turn crime-reduction efforts into partisan issues.
“If these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticize the President, their communities would be much safer,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Reuters.
Chicago has been dealing with gun violence for decades. On July 4 of this year, the city experienced another bloody weekend, with 55 people shot and six killed.
Over Memorial Day weekend in late May, 22 people were shot in the city, two of whom died.
According to city data, there have been 272 homicides in Chicago this year, with 225 fatal shootings.
