Murders, shootings dipped in Chicago in 2017
Matt Finn reports on the efforts to reduce violence in the Windy City.
Two 14-year-old Chicago boys who were “hanging out” ended up with gunshot wounds – one in the arm, the other in the leg – on the city's South Side, cops said.
The two boys, described as friends, were in the 5200 block of South Morgan Street Monday night when one of them pulled out a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson.
The teen with the gun reportedly said “Give me your phone” to the other boy, to which he responded “stop playing,” the Chicago Tribune reported.
President Trump renews attack on Chicago’s crime rate
Matt Finn reports from Chicago.
The teenager with the gun “attempted to rack the slide” and the gun went off, hitting his friend in the upper arm, police said.
The teen ran off -- but accidentally shot himself in the leg a few houses down.
Both boys were taken in good condition to comer Children’s Hospital.
it's unclear how the teenager got the gun.
Police said responding officers recovered the gun, which had been tossed in the snow. Charges are pending.
The boys were among at least five people shot in the South Side of Chicago between Monday morning and early Tuesday, the Tribune reported.
A pizza delivery driver, 58, was shot after the person who ordered the food tried to pay with fraudulent money. A 46-year-old man was shot in an attempted robbery.
Both men were taken to a nearby hospital in good condition.
A 28-year-old man was shot at least three times – in the head, chest and elsewhere on the body. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition.
The city of Chicago has among the highest gun violence and death totals in the nation. Earlier this year, the police department released statistics showing the number of homicides fell from 771 in 2016 to 650 last year. The number of shootings dropped from 3,550 to 2,785 during the same period.
Despite the drop, in a repeat of 2016, the homicides still eclipsed the number of killings in New York City and Los Angeles combined.
The Tribune reported 249 people have been shot this year – that is 155 fewer than in 2017 over the same period.
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