Chicago police say gun violence lower despite weekend deaths

CHICAGO — Chicago police said despite five people being fatally shot in less than 24 hours during Labor Day weekend, gun violence in the city is declining.

Among the fatalities was a 15-year-old boy found early Sunday, Sept. 1 on a sidewalk with wounds in his leg and back.

Police said the night of violence began Saturday evening in the West Englewood neighborhood, where two men, ages 32 and 26, were fatally shot as they sat on a front porch. Two others were killed elsewhere.

Chicago police said the 46 homicides reported in the city in August was a 23% decline from the same month in 2018. The number of shootings decreased 19%.

Chicago has had 329 homicides in 2019. That's a 14% decline from the same period in 2018. Police said the number of shootings totaled 1,425, a 12% drop.