Chicago shootings: 53 shot, 11 fatally, in Memorial Day weekend gun violence across city

CHICAGO -- It's been a violent and deadly Memorial Day weekend in Chicago with at least 53 shot, 11 fatally, police said.

The shooting victims range in age from 2 to 77 years old, representing every part of the city.

The violence occurred despite a collaborative public safety effort that the new mayor hopes to implement all summer.

In Back of the Yards, a man critically-wounded in the back, and another man was shot in the face in a South Chicago home.

Police said three people were shot while standing on the sidewalk in the 9100-block of South Harper Avenue when someone drove up and fired at around 1:45 a.m.

A 59-year-old man, 57-year-old woman, and a 77-year-old man were all hit and transported to local hospitals.

Over the weekend, 35-year-old William Hair's family spoke to ABC7 about what happened to their loved one early Saturday morning in Lakeview.

"He was there with his best friend. They pulled up, didn't have a chance to do anything. His best friend, thank God, was with him, and valiantly tried to save his life, and performed CPR, helped him breathe. My son fought for his life, but he was gone," Bill said.

Hair was one of five people shot over the past four days in Lakeview, police are saying they plan to increase patrols in that area.

Sunday night, police say a 2-year-old boy was shot while was playing in a bedroom with an adult when a gun went off - the boy was hit in the right hand.

Earlier that same day, a 2-year-old girl was hit in the hand after she found a gun and accidentally shot herself. Both children are expected to be OK.

"This is not an accident. This is negligence due to these guns inside these homes with no lock on it. Get a lock, lock it down, save these children," said community activist Andrew Holmes.

Mayor Brandon Johnson spent the weekend at various neighborhood gatherings, aimed at keeping streets safe.

Last week, he touted a 'holistic' approach to public safety this summer with new funding to support community groups. But he said we have a tremendous amount of work to do.

"Poverty didn't go away over the weekend. Like we understand that when communities have been disinvested in and traumatized, that you are seeing the manifestation of that trauma," Mayor Johnson said.