One man, accused of a trio of weapons violations, remains the only person charged in connection with the carnage wrought three weeks ago in Chicago, when 75 people were shot -- 12 fatally -- during the city's bloodiest weekend of the year.
Rick Franklin, 27, was arrested Aug. 4, and charged with three felony weapons charges, including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. The offenses were linked to Franklin due to the latest technology being monitored by police and civilian analysts, the Chicago Tribune reported.
After Franklin allegedly fired a gun near an intersection, the shots were detected by acoustic sensors in the area, and an alert was soon sent to a monitoring center more than a mile away. Cops then immediately used surveillance cameras at the intersection to track down a blue Ford Focus seen fleeing the scene, officials said.
Rick Franklin is the only person who has so far been charged following Chicago's most violent weekend this year, which saw 75 people shot (Chicago Police Department)
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But Franklin is the only alleged shooter who's been charged after a weekend so violent it prompted Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to deploy an extra 600 officers to patrol the streets.
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Chicago police’s clearance rate for solving homicides was around 17 percent in 2017 and is on pace for similar numbers this year, according to the Tribune.
“Other cities are a lot better than us,” said Brendan Deenihan, deputy chief in the detective division. “And we have to take ownership for our low clearance rate and I understand that. And we will do so."
He added: “However, every single study I have read, the most difficult cases to solve are outside violence with a handgun, gang involvement. And, unfortunately, in the city of Chicago that is the vast number of shootings.”
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Meanwhile a 25-year-old man was killed early Thursday morning when another vehicle pulled up to him at a red light and fired multiple shots, striking the man in the head, shoulder, arm and thigh. The victim drove off but crashed his vehicle into a tree. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, FOX32 Chicago reported.
Emanuel is under increasing pressure to take action or resign as the crime problems mount.
Last week he drew criticism for blaming a lack of “moral structure” in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods for the crime spree.
“This may not be politically correct," he said, "but I know the power of what faith and family can do....Our kids need that structure...I am asking...that we also don’t shy away from a full discussion about the importance of family and faith helping to develop and nurture character, self-respect, a value system and a moral compass that allows kids to know good from bad and right from wrong.”
Chicago police’s clearance rate for solving homicides was around 17 percent in 2017 and is on course for similar numbers this year, according to the Tribune (Sun-Times 2018)
Chicago’s chief of police, Supt. Eddie Johnson, this week blamed the violence epidemic on judges and prosecutors who refuse to jail repeat offenders.
Johnson said his department can “only do so much,” noting “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why shootings continue to be a problem in Chicago.”
He continued: “If people don’t give us the information we need, and our judicial partners don’t hold them accountable, would you stop if that’s what you wanted to do? You know, it’s ridiculous.”
Chicago residents on Friday morning were bracing themselves for another what could be another violent weekend. Last weekend was the second bloodiest of the year, with 58 people shot and seven killed.
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