Seven Dead, 38 Wounded in Chicago Weekend Shootings. Trump Calls for Military Intervention, Pritzker Silent.

Since a police officer was killed in a Chicago hospital shooting, gun violence in the city has continued. This weekend added seven more deaths and 38 injuries to that toll.

According to the Associated Press, Chicago police recorded at least two dozen separate shooting incidents between 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday. The dead include a 21-year-old shot in the chest Sunday, an 18-year-old shot in the armpit Saturday evening, and a 50-year-old shot in the chest Friday. Police have not publicly identified the victims.

The Worst Single Incident

The largest attack happened Friday evening on Juneteenth. An SUV pulled up to a crowd and two occupants opened fire, striking 12 people, according to Chicago police. Eight men and four women, ranging in age from 17 to 47, were treated at four separate hospitals. A 13th person in the group suffered unknown injuries and refused medical care.

That attack came the same evening former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama opened the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side to its first visitors.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called the Friday mass shooting a direct assault on a night of community celebration. "What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence," he wrote on X Saturday. "Violence has no place in our city, and those responsible will be held accountable."

Trump's Response

President Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday morning: "Why isn't Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!!"

The office of Gov. J.B. Pritzker did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to PBS News. Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, has repeatedly refused Trump's calls for federal military intervention in Illinois.

Under Trump, National Guard troops have already been deployed on crime-fighting missions in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, according to PBS News and the AP. Whether those deployments produced lasting reductions in violent crime in those cities is a separate, contested question the sources do not resolve.

Chicago's Crime Data

Chicago Police Department data cited by the AP and PBS News shows a slight uptick in shooting incidents compared to the first half of last year. Violent crime rates in the city have generally dropped over the past few years, tracking national trends.

Critics of Trump's military-intervention posture argue that Chicago's violence, while severe, is not an anomaly requiring federal force. Federalizing local law enforcement creates constitutional and practical problems. A National Guard deployment in a city of 2.7 million is not the same as a targeted counter-gang operation, and there is no guarantee it drives down murder rates long-term.

This is the strongest version of Pritzker's position. Declining to respond to press inquiries while seven people lay dead in a single weekend is a choice, not a policy argument.

Chicago Was Not Alone

KSAT reported that the weekend saw gun violence in several other major cities. In Philadelphia, two people were killed and two others wounded Sunday morning, according to Fox 29. In Cincinnati, three people were killed Saturday evening, per WLWT. In Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating a Friday shooting that left one person dead and five wounded.

The pattern is national. Chicago is the largest and most politically charged example, but it is not an isolated case.

What Happens Next

The critical unresolved question is whether any suspect will be arrested and charged for the Friday Juneteenth mass shooting — the single incident that sent 12 people to four hospitals simultaneously. Mayor Johnson has pledged that those responsible will be held accountable, but the sources report no arrests.