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AFP
The funeral home was attacked by occupants of a passing car
At least 14 people have been shot in front of a Chicago funeral home, one of the worst mass shootings in a city already facing mounting violence.
Occupants of a passing vehicle fired on mourners as they left the home in Gresham, on the south side of Chicago, on Tuesday night, police said.
Injuries were reported to range from severe to critical.
The shooting comes amid reports that federal agents will be deployed to the city to help combat rising crime.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she had been assured that officers would work “in collaboration” with the Chicago police force, local media reported. She had previously threatened to sue the President of the United States, Donald Trump, if she sent troops without her permission.
The president sent federal agents to Portland, Oregon, and threatened to do the same with other major cities in the United States, blaming his Democratic leaders for allowing protests over the death of George Floyd to turn into violence.
Responding to the funeral shooting in a series of tweets, Ms. Lightfoot urged anyone with information related to the incident to “come forward or submit a suggestion anonymously.”
The Gresham shooting occurred around 18:30 local time (11:30 GMT) when mourners left the funeral of a man who had been shot dead in another part of the city last week. A police patrol officer was reportedly assigned to monitor the event.
Police said a black vehicle sped past the funeral home opening fire on those leaving. Some mourners exchanged fire. The car crashed into a neighboring street and its occupants fled the scene, although a person has been detained and is being questioned by police.
A witness to the attack told the Chicago Sun-Times: “We went outside and all we saw were bodies lying everywhere. They were shot everywhere.”
Chicago Police First Aide Eric Carter said 60 bullet casings were found at the scene.
He said that all of the victims were adults and were being cared for at five different hospitals in the area.
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Police search for those who carried out the shooting
Local media say this is one of the worst mass shootings in Chicago’s recent history.
Chicago armed crime has increased in recent weeks. The city saw its deadliest day in at least 30 years on May 31, when 18 people were killed in a 24-hour period. The city’s 911 emergency call center received 50,000 more calls than on an average day, Lightfoot said.
The death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25 sparked a wave of largely peaceful protests in America’s cities demanding police reform and racial equality.
However, some cities have also seen an increase in violence, arson, property damage, arrests, and allegations of police brutality.
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After sending federal officials to quell the violence in Portland, Trump threatened to do the same in other cities led by “liberal Democrats” whom he said were afraid to act. It included Chicago and New York.
On Tuesday, Lightfoot said the Trump administration had assured him that there would be no “Portland-style deployment,” but that he would remain vigilant for any abuse of power if federal assistance is provided to the city.
