4 dead, 19 wounded! NO, this isn't a Combat Zone. It is Chicago in one night? How is this not a nation's priority?

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:36:16 -0400

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/4-dead-19-wounded-in-chicago-since-saturday-including-14-year-old-boy/ar-AAewvXW?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=SMSDHP

A violent Saturday and Sunday morning in Chicago left four people dead and at least 19 others wounded, including a 14-year-old boy who was killed and a 15-year-old who was injured after a fight in a park in the North Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side.

The boys were on the street in the 4400 block of South Greenwood Avenue in the North Kenwood neighborhood when a car drove by and someone opened fire around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to police.

The 14-year-old, identified by his mother as Tyjuan Poindexter, was shot in the head and died on the scene. The 15-year-old boy was shot twice in the leg and was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, a police spokeswoman said.

Witnesses told police there was a fight between two groups at Kennicott Park, 4434 S. Lake Park Ave., not long before the shooting, and police were investigating if it was related.

Authorities said the boys did not have criminal records or gang affiliations. The shooting happened two blocks from where 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was killed in January 2013.

The 14-year-old's mother, Michelle Poindexter, gripped yellow police tape at the scene and yelled at the small group of neighbors huddled on the other side.

"All you spectators? Go ... home," she cried. "My son dead. My son no gangbanger. He ... 14 years old."

One neighbor said she was sitting on her couch when she heard "what must've been about 20 shots fired."

"They must've been chasing someone," she said. "All you could hear was pow, pow, pow, pow, pow."

Neighbors in hoodies and sweatshirts huddled together under the streetlamps. A few shared cigarettes, their eyes focused on the door of a home behind the police tape.

Two hours after the shooting, Poindexter continued to pace around the block, looking for a way to get past the yellow tape that blocked off the home. An officer explained that police would not allow the mother to see her son's body because she might try to embrace him and possibly spoil evidence.

"She's a mom," a neighbor whispered, watching the mother as she trembled. "She's gonna keep trying to get through."

Another neighbor said the neighborhood is generally quiet. At first, she thought the gunshots were firecrackers. "It was like this about 30 years ago. Gang-infested area," she said. "Now these little boys taking over. Thirteen, 14, 15. They just kids."

Other fatal shootings:

-Around 5:25 a.m. Sunday, a 31-year-old man was killed in the West Pullman neighborhood on the South Side, according to Officer Janel Sedevic, a Chicago Police spokeswoman.

Officers responding to 11700 South LaSalle Street found him unresponsive with several gunshot wounds in a parked car. He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

-Just after 2 a.m. Sunday, one person was killed and at least five were wounded in a shooting in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, Sedevic said. A group was outside in the 5800 block of South LaSalle Street when people walked from an alley and began shooting. Someone returned fire from the group.

A 28-year-old man was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center.

A 23-year-old woman was shot in the leg and foot. She was taken to Stroger Hospital and her condition was stabilized.

A 28-year-old woman was grazed in the buttocks and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. Her condition was stabilized.

A 29-year-old woman was shot in the face and taken to Mount Sinai in serious condition.

A 19-year-old woman was grazed in the face and taken to St. Bernard in serious condition.

A 29-year-old man was shot in the arm and leg and taken to Stroger Hospital. His condition was stabilized.

A passing car was caught in the gunfire and lost control while fleeing the scene, police said. It rolled over, injuring six people inside. No other information was available.

-Just after 6 p.m. Saturday, a man believed to be in his 30s was killed in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. He was found with a gunshot wound to the neck in the 1200 block of North Keeler Avenue, said Officer Nicole Trainor, a Chicago Police spokeswoman. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Police News Affairs had no other details.

Video from the scene showed a man being tended to by emergency medical workers on a dirt parkway outside a parking lot behind a liquor store at the northeast corner of Keeler and Division Street. A crowd began to gather and officers moved them away as a Fire Department ambulance pulled up to the man.

Another man, Hughvon Polk, 24, was fatally shot in a van at the same intersection on Aug. 24. A man charged with murder in that killing appeared in Cook County bond court on Saturday.

Other shootings:

-Around 3:55 a.m. Sunday, a 35-year-old man was shot at a gas station in the Edgewater neighborhood on the Far North Side, said Officer Jose Estrada, a Chicago Police spokesman. The man told police someone walked up to him in the 5700 block of North Broadway and struck up a conversation, then shot him in the hip and leg. A friend drove him to Presence Saint Francis Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.

-At 3:25 a.m. Sunday, a 29-year-old man was shot in the Calumet Heights neighborhood on the South Side, police said. He was riding his bicycle near the 8700 block of South Dorchester Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain. He was struck in the leg and taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital.

-At 3:05 a.m. Sunday, a 24-year-old man was shot in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side. He was struck in the groin at 5500 South Wabash Avenue, near the CTA Red Line station. No further information was immediately available.

-At 2:36 a.m. Sunday, two people were shot in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. A 24-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were outside in the 2200 block of South Kolin Avenue when someone dressed in black came out from an alley and shot them, Sedevic said. The man was hit in the left shoulder and the woman was hit in the arm. Both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, and their conditions were stabilized.

-At 1:55 a.m. Sunday, a 33-year-old man was shot in the South Austin neighborhood, said Officer Ron Gaines, a Chicago Police spokesman. He was standing in the 5300 block of West Congress Parkway when he heard gunfire and felt pain, Gaines said. He was struck twice in the groin and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.

-At 8:15 p.m. Saturday, two men ages 27 and 34 were shot in the 3400 block of West Flournoy Street in the Homan Square neighborhood, police said. The 27-year-old man was hit in the chest and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. The 34-year-old was struck in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.

-Just after 4 p.m., a 35-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in the 6200 block of South Paulina Street in Englewood, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. The man told police he was in the area when he heard shots and felt pain but was otherwise being uncooperative with investigators.

-Just before 2 p.m. Saturday, two teenage boys were shot near the former site of the Robert Taylor Homes in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side.

The boys, ages 16 and 17, were on Pershing Road just west of State Street when they were shot, police said. The 17-year-old was grazed in the arm and the 16-year-old was shot in the leg. Both were taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, where they were listed in good condition, police said.

The two were in a car when another vehicle, possibly a maroon SUV, pulled up and someone fired shots, police said. The attacker's vehicle drove off, heading north on State Street, police said.

-Just before noon Sat, a 19-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the Fernwood neighborhood on the South Side. He was shot in the arm in the 700 block of West 99th Street and taken in good condition to Little Company of Mary Hospital, said Gaines.

-Around 8 a.m., a woman in her 30s was shot near 84th Street and Ingleside Avenue in the East Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, police said.

4 dead, 19 wounded in Chicago since Saturday, including 14-year-old boy

A violent Saturday and Sunday morning in Chicago left four people dead and at least 19 others wounded, including a 14-year-old boy who was killed and a 15-year-old who was injured after a fight in a park in the North Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Sep 20 at 2015 6:37 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:37:43 -0400

1SG Private RallyPoint Member thanks for the thread, definitely a major focus in America. Violence is not the answer but Love is, just my opinion.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2015 6:37 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:37:48 -0400

sighs. nothing changes ever

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 20 at 2015 6:38 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:38:26 -0400

Typical Chicago weekend... so much for gun control

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2015 6:41 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:41:51 -0400

Things like that don't happen in England or Australia. I wonder what the link between them might be.

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Sep 20 at 2015 6:49 PM

TSgt Kenneth Ellis — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:49:40 -0400

It should be. But Obama does not stand up to anyone except the GOP. The media is more excited about "Black Lives Matter".

Response by LTC Curtis Madsen made Sep 20 at 2015 6:56 PM

LTC Curtis Madsen — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:56:02 -0400

I'm not sure if anyone remembers that movie "Warriors"? Good thing they're not organized, could be a lot worse. It's no wonder law enforcement officers sometimes get overly physical, they never know what kind of situation they're getting into. Gosh, doesn't this sound familiar, Afghanistan & Iraq?

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Sep 20 at 2015 6:59 PM

Capt Richard I P. — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:59:18 -0400

But it is a nation's priority! Haven't you heard how hard it is to get or carry a gun in Chicago? We just need to wait a while, soon the gun control will reduce all this crime!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2015 8:52 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 20:52:35 -0400

Can we just nuke Chicago?

Sincerely,
Wisconsin

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2015 9:57 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 21:57:06 -0400

This is another case of socialist policy! The citizens of these city's that banned law bidding citizens of their 2nd amendment rights to protect themselves against tyranny and thugs! This is what we hear. We better get right with God and the citizens of this nation better WAKE UP, and start standing up for each other and gain the morals, respect we are losing.

Response by SrA Marc Haynes made Sep 20 at 2015 10:10 PM

SrA Marc Haynes — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 22:10:45 -0400

It's time that communities take their streets back!

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Sep 20 at 2015 10:35 PM

Sgt Kelli Mays — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 22:35:46 -0400

Typical Chicago. This is one city that seriously needs a whole lot of help and cleaning up.

Response by LTJG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2015 2:48 AM

LTJG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 02:48:19 -0400

We're too busy trying to fix the rest of the world to fix things in our own backyard.

Response by SGT William Howell made Sep 21 at 2015 8:03 AM

SGT William Howell — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 08:03:56 -0400

I have read the post about gun control and "Black Lives Matter". There is so much more that goes so much deeper than these things.

Chicago police are working in reactive policing mode. Crime happens then the police show up and investigate. The ideal situation would be that they work in proactive policing. They prevent crimes before they happen.

Unfortunately, they are understaffed and even if they were adequately staffed they are not going to be proactive. Doing a field interview of somebody (Read Black Person) will get the police officer a complaint for racial profiling that will end up getting him/her in trouble. So they don't do it. Since they don't take an active policing roll it perceived that there is no police presence in the area. With no police presence crimes happen on a more regular basis.

Chicago is just the beginning. You will start to see a growing upswing in violent crime rates all over the country in urban areas. Until somebody in power takes a stand with the police and allows them to do their job this is going to continue to happen.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 21 at 2015 9:52 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 09:52:18 -0400

Rest In Peace to those killed. For the families what could you have done better? What level of involvement did you have beyond the Xbox and PS4? Did you go to PTA meetings? Community Groups? Or were you the typical "not my child" parent? I ask not to be rude to them and minimize their losses, but the moment the dog is walked and all the info is gathered and processed, a root cause emerges, and lack of family values or involvement is a big one, and then we start the blame game. When I was growing up, if the street lights were on and I wasn't in the house BEFORE the first flicker, they'd be hell to pay. That was a way my parents told me there's nothing good in the streets at night for me. My parents dug into my a** on a regular basis on just about anything I did wrong. And praised me when I did right. (Seems in my book I did more wrong tho lol) That was positive reinforcement that I didn't understand then, but do now. My parents were involved in coaching local sports teams and military groups. It gave me something constructive to do with my spare time, introduced me to others in my age group, and my parents knew by eyesight who I hung with, their parents and whom to guide me away from. That's missing in today's world. Could that have prevented this, maybe, maybe not, but it would bring us together in a more personal sense, and maybe we'd care more about our common man.

Response by SGT David T. made Sep 21 at 2015 1:13 PM

SGT David T. — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:13:55 -0400

Absolutely not.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2015 1:14 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:14:41 -0400

Shhhh! You aren't supposed to point out any hypocrisy, WO1 Tim Vaclav! You aren't supposed to point out this kind of crime because it doesn't make media waves.

Good luck getting the state government there to do much but bicker amongst themselves about the cause of it all instead of actually acting to curb it.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Sep 21 at 2015 1:15 PM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:15:32 -0400

WO1 Tim Vaclav - I have long said that we should be more concerned about cleaning up Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Los Angeles, Baltimore, etc., etc. than the countries where we have deployed to "restore law and order".

Yes ... I am fully aware of the Posse Comitatus Act, however, I think Congress needs to relook that.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2015 1:17 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:17:35 -0400

It wasn't on CNN, it must not have happened.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Sep 21 at 2015 1:20 PM

SCPO David Lockwood — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:20:46 -0400

Something has to be done to get things under control!

Response by MSgt Peter Vatistas made Sep 21 at 2015 1:22 PM

MSgt Peter Vatistas — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:22:33 -0400

I know it's counter-intuitive, but they need to lift ALL of the gun control measures that have been implemented in Chicago (and elsewhere).

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2015 1:26 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:26:21 -0400

While 45 shot and killed is a real tragedy it's definitely not time for Martial Law. Too many liberties given up in the name of security will result in neither.

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Sep 21 at 2015 1:43 PM

SGT Jerrold Pesz — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:43:04 -0400

This may sound hard hearted but the big majority of the shootings in Chicago are drug dealers and gangbangers shooting each other and I don't consider that to be a bad thing. In my opinion the more of them that kill each other the better. I only regret the occassional innocent kid who gets caught in the crossfire. (Most inner city teenagers do not fit the latter category).

Response by CDR Terry Boles made Sep 21 at 2015 1:50 PM

CDR Terry Boles — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:50:41 -0400

If its true, sad but not new for Chicago. Seems like there are real problems in Chicago and it starts in the homes at the neighborhood level. But no martial law, we don't need to go down that slippery slope. Thugs are thugs, and until the good people of Chicago take their neighborhoods back and keep their kids on the straight and narrow these types of senseless deaths will persist.

Response by SPC Christopher Perrien made Sep 21 at 2015 2:17 PM

SPC Christopher Perrien — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 14:17:27 -0400

There is no way to stop this. And it would be a waste of money to try. A million police couldn't do it or the armed forces., unless you basically make Chicago a prison and freeze all movement and business there., and then it would just get much worse

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Sep 21 at 2015 2:22 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 14:22:04 -0400

1SG Private RallyPoint Member When I first saw the headline, I thought it was an old headline (Fourth of July I believe) pertaining to the violence in Chicago. It is so sad that there is so little regard for human life in that city.

Response by SFC Nikhil Kumra made Sep 22 at 2015 10:21 AM

SFC Nikhil Kumra — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 10:21:51 -0400

In October I leave Chicago for the Dallas area...

This is only a small part of the story - really, a lot of this violence occurs in very compartmentalized areas. Mainly the south side or far west side. The majority is gang related, and black-on-black. The image that these stories portray is that Chicago is a constant war zone. It isn't. Not to say it is a good place to be (I can't wait to leave!), but the violence is largely in certain areas, with certain people.

Police patrol is heavy in the nicer, or more touristy areas. However, the purpose of police in Chicago seems to have been minimized to "filing a report" after the crime has been committed. There really isn't much of an offensive in the high crime areas - and really there isn't really any police presence.

Chicago is really a leftist culture problem. This is exactly what happens when you punish the successful, punish business owners, and reward mediocrity. When section 8 housing projects were done away with, vouchers were given, and apartments could not deny section 8 - shortly after this, crime skyrocketed in different areas. Today's welfare payments replaced slavery of the 1700's.... Yet no one in this system has the balls to get off of it and take their medicine to climb up and out... (sounds harsh, I know, but that's what it is, they're not special compared to the 80% of the human population who survive on much, much less, many getting out of their rut).

This is also a black problem. The majority of these homicides are in black neighborhoods. Yet, we have very loud "activists" blaming guns, white people, cops, everything other than personal accountability. You have a group of people who absolutely will not take accountability for their culture. Call it racist, but if you're arguing it, rather than looking at the problems with modern, black American culture in Chicago, then you're probably apart of the problem. Not trying to be racist by any means, but this isn't "white people's" fault... Or "cops" fault... or anyone's fault. My parents beat the shit out of me if I did wrong. They were involved, they weren't my friend, they didn't do drugs, they didn't get drunk in front of me (maybe a beer or two), and they weren't so focused on "self" rather than family.

I don't know what it is these days, but I've worked a lot with many kids from these areas, many who don't have the best aspirations in the world - many who sell themselves short - and in many ways, they seemed VERY spoiled. And I never really understood - how is a person, who was raised poor, "spoiled"? I think I get it now, that maybe being "spoiled" is on a bell curve in a sense -- where you won't act right on either end of the income range.... These kids need love, but tough love - dads who beat the shit out of them - MEN in their lives... Not just a single mom raising them. Again, not to be offensive, but there IS a difference - mom CANNOT be both MOM and DAD. I cannot be both DAD and MOM. It is not possible. There IS something lacking.

Now Chicago is imposing a 60% - 70% tax increase on property, and providing waivers to this to certain income levels, pushing even more of the burden on the wealthier - or even upper middle class. In addition, we just had a 9% tax on anything streaming (Netflix, Amazon instant digital, etc). Furthermore, the teacher's union is planning on striking again if it is found that there is not enough budget money for them. Minimum wage will be at $13 in a few years.

Yet still, the people who want handouts are asking for more. Soon, these people will be bitching about the lack of jobs, and how "evil" companies are. Crime will extend beyond gang members, and creep into the young, white, wealthy, progressive, gay, hipster, whatever neighborhoods. This system will break VERY SOON. Crime will skyrocket VERY SOON. This place will absolutely fall apart. I am glad I will be out of this mess!!

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Sep 22 at 2015 10:25 AM

Capt Jeff S. — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 10:25:24 -0400

Gun control... It works!!!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2015 2:22 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:22:38 -0400

This is what happens when spanking your child for bad behavior is deemed as "child abuse". Now the kids do what they what they want and run rampant killing each other because they were never taught right from wrong.

Response by SPC Nathan Freeman made Sep 22 at 2015 6:18 PM

SPC Nathan Freeman — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 18:18:29 -0400

The problem with Chicago is that the only people with guns are thugs and cops. If the citizens were armed, the gangs would be less likely to go shooting up the city.

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Sep 23 at 2015 6:41 AM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 06:41:41 -0400

But isnt Obama's wonder boy chief of staff the Mayor? Hmmmm