At least 10 people were killed—including a 7-year-old boy who was fatally shot in the chest—while 52 others were wounded in Chicago as the city known as the US murder capital celebrated the Fourth of July weekend.
Still, the number of Fourth of July casualties this year was lower than last year's 16 dead and 66 wounded, all due to gunshots.
Among the dead was seven-year-old Amari Brown, who was shot by an unidentified suspect on North Harding Street, according to the Chicago Tribune. Brown's companion, a 26-year-old woman, was wounded in the shooting.
Amari spent the day with his grandmother and came back home. He was with his father, Antonio Brown, when the shooting occurred at 11:55 p.m.
The bullet hit the boy in the right side of the chest.
"7 year-old Amari Brown was unintended victim of bullet meant for his father, a ranking gang member who was out on bond for illegal gun charge," according to a tweet by the Chicago Police.
Vedia Hailey, Amari's grandmother, said, "It's crazy. Who would shoot a 7-year-old in the chest? Who would do that to a baby? When is it going to stop?"
The Chicago Police, the Chicago Tribune reported, said the elder Brown is a member of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang and has been arrested 45 times for gun possession and burglary.
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said there should be tougher gun laws to put gun offenders in jail for a long time.
"If you think that putting more cops on the street would make a difference, then take a look at the fact that we put a third more manpower on the street for this weekend. What's the result? We're getting more guns. Well, that's great. It's not stopping the violence," he said.
In Albany Park, a man was shot dead and two others were wounded while in a van. In South Shore, a 26-year-old man in a van was also fatally shot.
Among those injured were a 33-year-old woman who was shot in the head while in the sidewalk in Roseland and a 22-year-old man who was shot in the ankle while walking in Marquette Park.
