Chicago violence: Almost 20 shot — 3 fatally — over weekend, police say



Nearly 20 people were shot — three of them fatally — in Chicago over the weekend, police told WBBM-TV.

The station said the shooting victims' ages range from 18 to 70.

A woman of an unknown age was found unresponsive in an alley behind the 11000 block of South Mackinaw Avenue at 10:18 a.m., WBBM said. She had been shot twice in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, the station said.

Police reported only one shooting on Friday. It took place just before 6:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of South Lafayette Avenue where police said an unknown person shot a 43-year-old woman on the street multiple times, WBBM noted. The woman was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, the station said.

The shootings ramped up on Saturday, as police said a dozen people were hit by gunfire — two of them fatally, the station said.

In one of the fatal shootings, police told WBBM that individuals in a red Dodge Charger were traveling westbound in the 4400 block of West Augusta Boulevard just before 5:30 a.m. when they were struck by gunfire, after which the vehicle crashed. The driver, a 37-year-old man, was shot in the back while his 29-year-old male passenger was shot multiple times in the head, the station said. Both victims were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital where the 29-year-old was in critical condition — but the 37-year-old, later identified as Mauro Josemartin, was pronounced dead, WBBM said.

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Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

In the other fatal shooting, a 23-year-old man was in a vehicle in the 4100 block of West Jackson Boulevard at 3:10 p.m. when he was hit in the chest by gunfire, the station said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County where he was pronounced dead, WBBM noted.

On Sunday, six people were shot, one of them fatally, the station said. In the fatal shooting, a woman of an unknown age was found unresponsive in an alley behind the 11000 block of South Mackinaw Avenue at 10:18 a.m., WBBM said. She had been shot twice in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, the station said.

Among the nonfatal shootings, four unknown gunmen approached a 43-year-old man in the 1500 block of East 75th Street just before 4 p.m. Saturday and opened fire at him, WBBM said. The man was hit in the ankle area and taken to a hospital in good condition, the station said.

On Sunday, two men — ages 18 and 19 — were in a business in the 100 block of East 51st Street just before 6 a.m. when a man came up and shot them both, WBBM said. The 18-year-old was shot in the upper right leg and transported himself to Provident Hospital of Cook County, the station said, adding that the 19-year-old was shot in the left calf and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center; both were in fair condition. Police told WBBM that the shooter was wearing a gray jumpsuit and fled east on foot.

Also on Sunday, police told the station that multiple people exited a dark-colored SUV outside a business in the 800 block of East 79th Street around 10:45 a.m. and shot two men, ages 66 and 70. The 66-year-old was hit in the right wrist, chest, and groin, police told WBBM, adding that the 70-year-old was hit once in the buttocks. Both victims were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where the 66-year-old was reported in critical condition, and the 70-year-old was in fair condition.

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NBC Is Helping Run Anti-ICE Ops For Dems

NBC News eagerly boosts Democrats who blame ICE for making arrests near schools when it was Democrat open-border policies that made those arrests necessary.

Bret Baier humiliates Pritzker over big fat lie about Chicago's murder rate



Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) attempted in an interview on Thursday to once again gaslight Americans about the bloodletting in his state's most populous city. Evidently immune to the Democrat's latest deception, Fox News host Bret Baier shut down Pritzker's attempt and confronted him with the facts about Chicago's obscenely high murder rate.

"Why does Chicago have the highest murder rate of all the big cities?" asked Baier.

'JB Pritzker just flat out lied about an obvious fact.'

Pritzker, whom President Donald Trump recently suggested should be jailed, responded, "Well, we are not in the top 30 in terms of our murder rate. ... Our murder rate has been cut in half over the last four years, and every year it's gone down by double digits, and if you look at all of the violent crime over the last four years, they've all gone down."

Baier then pulled up a map highlighting the apparent murder rates for America's biggest cities. The graphic indicated that Chicago led the way in blood with a murder rate of 17.47 homicides per 100,000 people.

By way of comparison, the reported murder rate for: Philadelphia was 16.91; Dallas was 13.62; Houston was 13.8; San Antonio was 8.39; Phoenix was 8.36; Los Angeles was 6.95; and New York City was 4.5.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

According to the Illinois-focused research nonprofit Wirepoints, Chicago ranked first last year for total murders out of the nation's 75 biggest cities, with 573 homicides. It also reportedly experienced the most homicides per capita among the nation's 20 biggest cities last year.

Chicago Police Department statistics indicate that as of Oct. 19, the city has seen 347 known homicides so far this year.

After Baier noted that "Chicago is number one over Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, and San Diego," Pritzker said, "Look, you can pull statistics up. I can too."

"No, no, no," said Baier. "These are murders."

"I'm explaining to you that our murder rate has been cut in half, and very importantly, Bret, and you gotta hear this, very importantly we’ve been doing the things that are necessary to bring crime down, right?" added the Democratic governor.

Critics had a field day with Pritzker's attempt to put a positive spin on Chicago's murder rate.

"JB Pritzker just flat out lied about an obvious fact," wrote Elon Musk.

Former National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch wrote, "Cut in half and still number one. Great job, @GovPritzker."

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Felon accused of shooting man in scrotum reportedly after victim recorded video of gunman — after he fell off a scooter



A 41-year-old man had just gotten home from a construction job and was sitting in his car in the 500 block of West Scott Street in Chicago texting a co-worker about the next day’s schedule, CWB Chicago reported, citing prosecutors.

With that, the outlet said another male rode a scooter through the parking lot, crashed, and fell.

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Photo by JONAS ROOSENS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

The man sitting in his car used his phone to record a short clip of the scooter rider on the pavement, the outlet said.

But apparently, the guy on the ground didn't like his mishap finding its way on camera.

So prosecutors said he got up, parked his scooter near the 41-year-old man's car, walked toward a grassy area, and returned holding a gun, the outlet said.

Judge Luciano Panici Jr. ordered Jones detained on charges of aggravated battery by discharging a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Surveillance video allegedly showed the gunman walking up to the car, standing next to the driver’s side door, and firing two shots downward toward the victim’s lap, CWB Chicago said.

He then moved to the back of the car and fired several more rounds as he walked away, the outlet said, citing prosecutors.

The armed victim returned fire from inside the vehicle and again after opening the door as the gunman — identified as 40-year-old Michael J. Jones — fled the scene, CWB Chicago said.

The victim called 911 and was found on the pavement next to his car with gunshot wounds to his thigh, calf, and scrotum, the outlet added, citing court filings.

More from CWB Chicago:

Police identified Jones through an informant who knew him by name and had learned of his involvement. Additional video footage showed Jones walking toward his nearby home shortly after the shooting, prosecutors claim.

When officers arrested Jones recently, they found a loaded handgun in his cargo pants pocket, prompting Jones to explain that he carried the weapon because he lived in a dangerous neighborhood, according to prosecutors.

Judge Luciano Panici Jr. ordered Jones detained on charges of aggravated battery by discharging a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the incident, which occurred just before 9:30 p.m. July 11, the outlet said.

Jones has a 2016 felony gun conviction, CWB Chicago said, citing court records.

Cook County Jail records indicate Jones was booked Saturday and is scheduled for a Thursday hearing.

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Local CBS News station glosses over key details in its anti-ICE hit piece



CBS News Chicago released a report in early October claiming that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Broadview detention center had repeatedly dialed 911 with fabricated emergencies.

The report stated that, according to Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills, the police department had received "several questionable 911 calls ... from the ICE facility recently," emphasis added. However, the October 2 article mentioned only one alleged instance and failed to note that the event actually occurred months earlier.

'Our brave ICE law enforcement should be thanked for risking their lives every day to arrest murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists instead of vilified by sanctuary politicians.'

In the report, CBS shared bodycam footage of police responding to a 911 call that someone had reportedly tampered with the gate at the detention center. When police arrived at the scene, they found two individuals with the CBS News crew.

Mills told the news outlet that he believed ICE's call was bogus. One police officer told CBS that it did not appear anyone had been tampering with the gate.

"The chief said that was just one of several questionable 911 calls his police department has received from the ICE facility recently," CBS reported.

However, while the CBS News Chicago broadcast showed the incident report and bodycam footage of the alleged false call, revealing that it occurred on June 15, 2025, the article published on the CBS News website made no mention of the June date. CBS News Chicago also failed to cite any other incidents.

Blaze News contacted CBS News, CBS News Chicago, and Mills to inquire whether they could provide any details about other alleged false calls made by ICE agents.

RELATED: When did my local TV news become leftist propaganda?

Image source: Broadview Police Report

The police report obtained by Blaze News confirmed that the gate-tampering call occurred on June 15, over three months before CBS News' reporting.

"[The responding officer] made contact with the two individuals who identified themselves as members of a CBS News crew. They stated that they had been in the area for approximately 10 minutes and denied witnessing or participating in any criminal activity, including tampering with the gate," the report reads.

It notes that an ICE agent at the detention center "approached the news crew and advised them that the property was private and that they were not permitted to enter."

"The news crew acknowledged the warning and, though initially hesitant, complied with the directive," the report continues.

RELATED: Trump urges SCOTUS to unleash National Guard in Chicago amid protests, increase in violence against ICE

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security rejected claims that ICE agents at the facility were making false emergency calls to the local police department.

"After a terrorist attack at an ICE facility in Dallas, Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills is choosing to smear our brave ICE law enforcement," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Blaze News. "Our ICE officers are facing a more than 1,000% increase in assaults [including] sniper attacks, cars being used as weapons, and assaults from rioters."

"Our brave ICE law enforcement should be thanked for risking their lives every day to arrest murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists instead of vilified by sanctuary politicians," McLaughlin continued. "[It's] disheartening that even after the terrorist attack and arrests of rioters with guns outside the Broadview ICE facility these sanctuary politicians chose [to] engage in political theatre to inflame hatred of ICE."

The CBS article was amplified by those on the left, including California Governor Gavin Newsom's communications director, Izzy Gardon.

"WOAH. CBS News reports ICE has been making bogus calls to 911 and filing false police reports in Chicago," he wrote in a post on X on October 6, providing a link to the article in the comments.

Bari Weiss, a journalist and the founder of the Free Press, was named editor in chief of CBS News just days after this article was released. She has vowed to make CBS "the most trusted news organization in America and the world." To guide the outlet's changes, she outlined 10 "core journalistic values," including to "[report] on the world as it actually is;" "tell the truth plainly — wherever it leads;" and "endeavor to present the public with the facts, first and foremost."

CBS News, CBS News Chicago, Mills, and Gardon did not respond to a request for comment.

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Trump’s National Guard gambit misses the mark



Crime is bad. Violent crime is worse. That’s obvious. It’s not a partisan point. Most Democrats — I happen to be one of them — don’t cheer lawlessness. In fact, 68% of us say crime is a major problem in big cities. A few progressives have attacked police, but they sit far outside the mainstream. Most Democratic voters hold a higher opinion of law enforcement than of traditional liberal pillars like organized labor or public schools.

So if everyone agrees crime is bad, the real argument isn’t over morality — it’s over solutions.

We all agree crime is bad. The question is whether we fight it with empty theatrics or serious, sustained policing.

That’s where President Trump’s anti-crime efforts collapse. Talking tough doesn’t make streets safer. His approach wastes money, strains resources, and distracts from the hard work of policing.

The problem with militarizing cities

Trump’s main crime-fighting move has been deploying the National Guard to large cities like Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco are also on the president’s list. The images look dramatic, but they don’t reduce crime.

The Posse Comitatus Act bars the president from using the military as a domestic police force, which makes it unclear whether Guardsmen can legally arrest suspects or patrol neighborhoods. Most Guardsmen don’t want to cross that line — and they aren’t trained to. In Washington, the Guard’s own report lists its activities: clearing trash, spreading mulch, and painting fences. Good work, yes — but not policing.

These deployments also carry a hefty price tag. The Los Angeles mission, involving 4,000 guardsmen and 700 Marines for less than two months, cost about $118 million. Washington’s ongoing deployment could exceed that. Long-term operations in cities like Memphis, Portland, and Chicago would drive the bills even higher.

And those aren’t the only costs. The Guard is already stretched thin. Disaster relief missions during brutal wildfire and hurricane seasons have drained manpower and equipment. Overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan reduced recruitment and retention. If the president keeps sending Guardsmen into American cities, they may not be ready when the country faces a real disaster — or, heaven forbid, a war.

Ignoring what works

Instead of chasing headlines, Trump could invest in what actually reduces crime. His One Big Beautiful Bill Act offered funding only for local agencies that cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. It provided nothing to hire or retain more police or prosecutors — the people who actually solve crimes and clear backlogged cases.

The solution is straightforward: Redirect the hundreds of millions spent on National Guard deployments into state and local law enforcement. Departments nationwide face critical shortages. Chicago alone needs about 1,300 more officers.

RELATED: The city that chose crime and chaos over courage

Stock Depot via iStock/Getty Images

History proves this works. Between the late 1960s and early 1990s, violent crime surged 371%. By 1991, the U.S. murder rate hit a historic peak. Then came the bipartisan 1994 Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act. The law funded new prisons, domestic violence prevention programs, and — most importantly — about 84,000 additional police officers.

The result? Crime fell sharply. Violent crime has dropped roughly 50% since then. The law had flaws — cutting inmate access to higher education was one — but safer streets remain its chief legacy.

The way to fight crime

If President Trump truly wants to make America safer, he should stop staging photo ops and start funding proven methods. Deploying the National Guard is costly, risky, and legally questionable. Hiring cops, prosecutors, and judges works — and has worked for decades.

We all agree crime is bad. The question is whether we fight it with empty theatrics or serious, sustained policing. The answer should be as clear as the problem itself.