Chicago experienced a surge of violence over Labor Day weekend, with at least 54 people shot — seven fatally — in a string of incidents that reignited political tensions between President Trump and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker over how to address crime in the city.
According to police reports reviewed by ABC News, at least 32 separate shootings occurred between Friday evening and midday Monday. The violence included a mass shooting in the Bronzeville neighborhood late Saturday, where seven people were wounded around 11:10 p.m. All are expected to survive.
Just hours earlier, Trump had posted on Truth Social criticizing Pritzker’s handling of public safety in Chicago, calling him “weak and pathetic” for resisting federal intervention. The president warned, “We’re coming,” and threatened federal action if state officials don’t “straighten it out, FAST.”
Governor Pritzker pushed back forcefully, saying, “National Guard troops or any kind of troops on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there is an insurrection, unless there is truly an emergency – and there is not.” He warned that any deployment of federal troops would face immediate legal challenges: “They’ll be in court pretty quickly.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson also weighed in, ending a speech at a “Workers Over Billionaires” march on Monday with the rallying cry, “No troops in Chicago. Invest in Chicago.”
Chicago recorded 573 homicides in 2024, significantly higher than New York City (377) and Los Angeles (268). The city’s murder rate stands at about 22 per 100,000 residents — higher than NYC and LA, but lower than cities like Detroit (32), Washington, DC (27), and Atlanta (25).
Earlier this summer, Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, DC, and deployed thousands of federal agents and National Guard troops. According to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, violent crime in the capital has since dropped 45%, with carjackings down 87% compared to the same period last year.
The president also sent 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June during violent anti-ICE protests. Most were withdrawn by July 1.
In Chicago, the weekend shootings included a range of tragic incidents:
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A 17-year-old girl was struck in the arm by a bullet that entered through her home’s front window.
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A 25-year-old woman was fatally shot on Friday evening. Another woman, 23, was injured in the same incident.
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A 31-year-old man was caught in crossfire between two vehicles.
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Two others were shot while driving down a street.
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Around 11 p.m. Saturday, a dark SUV approached two men standing outside. A gunman exited the vehicle and opened fire. A 29-year-old man was killed, and a 32-year-old man was injured but stabilized.
As of Monday morning, at least four more shootings had occurred, including one that left a 48-year-old man in critical condition, according to CBS News.
While resisting the idea of military deployment, Governor Pritzker did signal openness to federal assistance through law enforcement agencies.
“We would welcome ATF agents to help get more guns off the street, and FBI coordination to help catch perpetrators,” he said. “But that’s not what they’re planning to do.”