Chicago weekend gun violence includes 21 shootings, 25 victims; police arrest 3 juveniles over carjacking

Gun violence in Chicago over the weekend left at least 25 wounded, as police say at least 21 shootings happened across the city. 

Separately, three juveniles were charged over the weekend in connection to the carjacking of a delivery man last week — just one of the various cases that have forced the Chicago Police Department to respond to a surge in carjackings across the city, carried out mostly by teens. 

From Friday at 6 p.m. until Sunday at 11:59 p.m., there were at least 21 shooting incidents across Chicago, involving at least 25 victims. Four people were murdered during that time frame, a Chicago police spokesperson told Fox News via email Monday.

The weekend shootings happened across different neighborhoods, with one of the first involving a 42-year-old man who police say was fatally shot Friday while trying to break up a fight between two males at about 9:10 p.m. in the 1600 block of North Cicero Avenue in Austin on the West Side.

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The man, since identified as Brighton Park resident Kenny Winters, was shot in the back and leg and was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

A second fatality happened on Sunday, when officers found a 30-year-man lying face down with multiple gunshot wounds about 11:10 p.m. inside his home in the 7700 block of South Yates Boulevard in South Shore. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and, as of Monday, had not been identified by Cook County medical examiners. Police said neighbors reported hearing arguing before the shots were fired.

It was unclear whether the two additional murders were connected to gun violence. 

In non-fatal instances of gun violence this weekend, several shootings involved victims being shot at by individuals in SUVs.

That includes a 34-year-old man critically wounded early Saturday when police say he was riding in a vehicle at about 4:35 a.m. in the 800 block of North Laramie Avenue when someone got out of a parked dark blue SUV and began firing. The man wounded was shot in the chest and was transported to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park in critical condition, the Sun-Times reported.

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Another incident involved a man, 61, and a woman, 46, who were both inside a parked vehicle at about 3:55 a.m. Saturday in the 5600 block of South Shields Avenue in Englewood on the South Side when someone began firing shots from inside a nearby black SUV. The woman was struck in the leg, the man in the back, and both were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.

A 30-year-old woman – who police say got out of the vehicle she was driving to tell those in a dark-colored SUV following her that she was not a gang member – was shot in the face, shoulder, arm and chest at about 3:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of West Pershing Road in McKinley Park on the South Side.

The gunman then fired shots into the woman's vehicle, striking a 41-year-old man inside. Two others inside the vehicle were not injured. The woman was transported to Stroger Hospital in serious condition. The man was taken to the same hospital but was listed as in good condition.

Two men, aged 31 and 41, were standing outside about 1:25 a.m. in the 7000 block of South May Street when an individual got out of a dark-colored vehicle and began firing, police said. Both were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center; the 31-year-old struck in the abdomen was in critical condition, while the 41-year-old was in fair condition.

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Included in the 25 shooting victims was also a 29-year-old man who was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition after police say he was driving at about 12:30 a.m. in the 3300 block of West Cermak Road in Little Village Saturday when someone inside a passing white SUV began firing.

Last weekend, the Sun-Times reported that 21 people were shot, five fatally, across Chicago. 

The Chicago Police Department announced Monday that three juveniles were arrested over the weekend after being identified as the armed offenders who took part in a vehicular hijacking of a 33-year-old man who was making a delivery in the 100 block of N. Lamon on Feb. 4 at 10:00 p.m. The juvenile offenders face felony charges, police said.

Chicago saw over 180% more carjackings in January than during the same month in 2020 — and police believe most of the offenses are being committed by young adults and teenagers, some of whom are currently out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The startling pattern has grown to be cause for concern among police brass, who on Jan. 21 announced the creation of a team dedicated to finding those people responsible. Officials said CPD arrest data show carjackers are most often between the ages of 15 and 20, but arrest records show they are sometimes even younger.

CPD's new carjacking team consists of 40 police officers and four sergeants assigned to work across CPD’s five detective bureaus, the department said. But the program extends beyond just manpower to include public programs and collaboration with community groups and local, state and federal partners.

Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.