CHICAGO (CBS) — The family of a 23-year-old man in the Albany Park neighborhood was one of at least nine who mourn the loss of a loved one due to gun violence in Chicago this Memorial Day weekend.
The man — identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office as Cristian Diaz Hernandez — was near the street in the 3100 block of West Carmen Avenue when a vehicle stopped and someone inside shot him. He was struck in the abdomen and was pronounced dead at Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Evanston.
At least thirty people were also injured by gunfire in the city on Monday evening.
This came as city leaders and activists urged safety — as the holiday weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. Police manned every corner of the city on foot and bicycle last weekend.
Memorial Day weekend in Chicago has been known for years as a violent weekend.
“In 2016 it was extremely violent – I believe somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 or 70 cases over the course of the weekend,” said Street Pastor Donovan Price, “and since then it has been known as one of the most violent weekends. has to do with the weather or the actual holiday, I can’t say.”
This year’s numbers are not as high as last year, when 53 people were shot and 12 were killed. But Pastor Price said he still needs to prepare for the horrific numbers well in advance.
“You prepare yourself mentally and otherwise spiritually so that you can help as many people as possible — and be in as many places as possible to help those people,” Price said.
Price helped respond to the city’s shootings this weekend, which left at least 39 people dead or injured as of 8 p.m. Monday.
“It could be a lot worse,” Price said, “and it’s sad to say it could be a lot worse.”
Another victim who died in shootings last weekend was a 5-year-old girl named Reign Ware — who was sitting in a parked car in the 200 block of South Campbell Avenue on the city’s West Side about 3:30 a.m. when she was shot in the abdomen. She died at Stroger Hospital of Cook County. A 24-year-old man was also injured in the incident.
Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled a $100 million safety plan including anti-violence programs, restorative justice initiatives and gainful employment.
“Jobs and things like that help, of course, but they have to want jobs,” Pastor Price said. “They have to want the kinds of programs that are available to them. They have to take advantage of the programs. The parents have to play a role in it, either by taking advantage of the jobs or the programs.”
Police Supt. Larry Snelling said this year the department will put a limit on the number of vacation days canceled for officers.
“I wonder if they’ve actually talked to the youth about what exactly would help them not want to do some of the things that they’re doing that might be causing problems,” Snelling said. “That would be a great trend to see.”
With hours left in the holiday weekend, Price left town with a thought and a task.
“There is no reason to lose hope, but there is reason to pray,” he said.
As of late Monday, no one was in custody in the shooting that killed 5-year-old Reign Ware.
