At least 54 people were shot, seven of them fatally, over the Labor Day weekend, according to police. The violence spanned across city neighborhoods, with victims ranging from teenagers to adults.
In South Shore on Friday night, two women were shot, and a 25-year-old died from her injuries. A 29-year-old man was killed and another was wounded Saturday morning in East Garfield Park. Hours later in Altgeld Gardens, a woman was fatally shot. That evening, a drive-by in Bronzeville left seven people wounded. Police said all were expected to survive.
On Sunday night in Little Village, 18-year-old Morgan Alaniz was shot and killed, according to
ABC7 Chicago. Early Monday near Ellis Park on the South Side, five people were struck during a large gathering, including a 17-year-old in critical condition. Police said four firearms were recovered at the scene, and one person of interest was questioned.
Despite the shootings over Labor Day weekend, broader city data shows notable declines in violent crime through the mid-year.
A
fact sheet released on Aug. 25 from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office reports a 32.3 percent drop in homicides and a 37.4 percent decrease in overall shootings, among other reductions of violent crime, robberies, car theft, and assault, in the first six months of 2025.
As the Trump administration pushes for federal intervention in high-crime cities, President Donald Trump
posted on Sept. 1 on Truth Social, saying: “Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. has become very popular because she worked with me and my great people in bringing CRIME down to virtually NOTHING in D.C. Her statements and actions were positive.” He also called on the mayors of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Baltimore to work with his administration on reducing crime.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has
said that additional federal resources are being deployed to Chicago under a broader immigration enforcement plan.
Earlier this weekend, Trump
posted, "CRIME IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL IN CHICAGO. 6 DEAD, 24 BADLY WOUNDED, LAST WEEK ALONE!!!"
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has
rejected the prospect of federal troops, describing it as a disruption. He said it's an overreach of federal powers and is un-American to have federal intervention in the city.
Speaking at a press conference on Aug. 25 in response to the Trump administration’s suggestion of sending the National Guard to Chicago, Pritzker said: “Look around you right now, does this look like an emergency? … Go talk to the people of Chicago, who are enjoying a gorgeous afternoon in the city. Ask the families buying ice cream at the Riverwalk, the students at the beach after school, the families sitting on their front porch—ask if they want their neighborhoods turned into a war zone by a wannabe dictator."
Chicago's mayor also opposed federal deployment. He signed an executive order aimed at blocking cooperation between local agencies and federal military forces. At a Labor Day rally, Johnson
stated: “No federal troops in the streets of Chicago, no militarized force in the city of Chicago. We’re going to defend our democracy... and we’re going to protect the humanity of every single person.”
Earlier this past
weekend, Johnson also spoke at a street-renaming ceremony honoring
Fred Hampton, the Black Panther leader and self-described revolutionary socialist killed in 1969. The mayor remarked that a federal troop presence would be “a slap in the face to Chairman Fred Hampton Way” and emphasized investment in mental health and affordable housing instead.
Chicago police investigations into the weekend shootings are ongoing.
