A mass shooting outside a Chicago funeral home injured at least 14 people.
On July 21, Chicago police stated they were searching for suspects who fled multiple directions after the mass shooting, FOX News reveals. The incident drew a new wave of criticism for the city’s leadership.
Although authorities revealed that one person of interest was being interviewed, no arrests have been made after the gunfire.
Arnita Gerder, an onlooker, told WMAQ:
“All we saw was just bodies laying everywhere, shot up everywhere, all over. Legs, stomach, back, all over the place.
We thought it was a war out here.“
Around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, while an SUV was traveling on 79th Street, people inside the vehicle opened fire on mourners outside the funeral home.
BREAKING: Chicago Police say multiple people have been shot Tuesday in the 1000 block of W. 79th St.
Chicago Fire Dept. has transported 11 people for treatment.
Officials said others were self-transported to various hospitals, @nbcchicago reports. https://t.co/OLtY4VDuDF
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 22, 2020
Police reports reveal the gunfire emerged at or near the site of a funeral or post-funeral event for a man fatally shot last week in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.
During a news briefing, the Chicago Police Department’s First Deputy Supt. Eric Carter said the people targeted then exchanged gunfire with the attackers. The vehicle sped off before crashing a few moments later, but the people inside the SUV ran off in multiple directions.
The Chicago Fire Department unveiled to a local media that at least 9 of the injured victims were listed in serious condition.
A woman was shot in the chest, a man, 40, was struck in the chest, arm, and forearm, and two men aged 32 and 22 were shot in the hand. Deputy Carter said the person in custody was not injured.
According to unnamed sources cited by CBS Chicago, the funeral was of Donnie Weathersby, who was killed on July 14. The Tuesday attack outside the funeral home is believed to have been planned.
Kenneth Hughes, another witness at the scene, said:
“Unfortunately it appears like it was planned because as the people were coming out of the funeral home, then the shots rang out like they were literally waiting on them to come out.”
Multiple people shot at 79th/Carpenter
Spoke with people here who said they were inside a funeral home when the shots started.
Spoke to a woman who had blood on her jeans. She didnt know whose blood it was.
I’m told The funeral was for a shooting victim. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/Aun75y7VZk
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) July 22, 2020
Although Deputy Carter confirmed there was a police car assigned to the funeral home due to the size of the gathering, officers weren’t warned about potential trouble of such size.
Shortly after the incident, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted:
While families were mourning at a funeral in Auburn Gresham, cowardly gunmen opened fire, wounding 14 in a horrific mass shooting. @Chicago_Police are canvassing for evidence and street outreach teams have been deployed to provide trauma and victim support services for residents.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 22, 2020
In a follow-up post, the mayor called the shooting ‘another senseless tragedy’.
“Far too many have suffered. Far too many have attended funerals and tried to start the process of healing entire communities following another senseless tragedy. When a person picks up a gun, we suffer as a city. This cannot be who we are.”
The Tuesday shooting continued a tragic series after 20 people were shot on Monday, and 63 were shot while 12 were killed over the weekend.
On Monday, July 20, President Donald Trump vowed to send federal forces in Chicago. In response, local authorities, including Mayor Lightfoot, pushed back on Trump’s plan.
Under no circumstances will I allow Donald Trump’s troops to come to Chicago and terrorize our residents.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 21, 2020
On the contrary, former mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani slammed Lightfoot’s decision to refuse the president’s help.
14 citizens of Chicago were shot at a funeral.
They are fighting for their lives.
Pray for them.
If Mayor Lightfoot had accepted help from @realDonaldTrump earlier a lot of lives would have been saved.
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) July 22, 2020
