The city of Chicago was rocked by a spate of shootings over the weekend, including a drive-by mass shooting on Juneteenth, leaving six dead and 39 injured in the Windy City. The shootings, which took place in a three day period between Friday evening and Sunday, prompted President Donald Trump to call on Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker to take action by requesting federal assistance.
\nChicago police reported that two dozen shooting incidents took place over the weekend, with victims who died ranging in age from 18 to 50, according to the Associated Press. On Friday night, two unidentified individuals fired into a crowd in Princeton Park on Chicago\u2019s South Side, resulting in 12 people \u2014 eight males and four females \u2014 being hospitalized, according to the AP.
\nThat same night, a 29-year-old man named Mario Price was killed in a drive-by shooting in which he was shot in the body and face, according to Fox 32 Chicago. A 70-year-old man who was standing nearby was also shot in the leg but survived. Shootings continued on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in additional deaths and injuries.
\nBesides these, on Thursday, a 14-year-old boy was shot multiple times, resulting in his death, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The outlet reported that the Midwest Hawks youth football team, of which the boy was a member, mourned his passing, saying in a statement that \u201cthere are no words that can ease the pain of a loss like this.\u201d
\nAG BLANCHE SLAMS PRITZKER FOR REFUSING HELP AS CHICAGO CRIME SURGES<\/p>\n
In response to the shootings, Trump shamed Pritzker for not taking action.
\n\u201cLots of Killing going on in Chicago,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social. \u201cWhy isn\u2019t Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!!\u201d
\nThe president pointed to his crime crackdown in the nation\u2019s capital, writing, \u201cD.C. went from one of the worst to one of the safest cities in the U.S.\u201d
\nBesides Washington, D.C., Trump has also deployed National Guard troops and federal authorities to Portland, Los Angeles and Memphis. After extensive legal challenges, Trump sent several hundred troops to the Chicago area late last year. However, the deployment remained tied up in court, and the troops were demobilized in January.
\nTRUMP\u2019S DC CRIME SUCCESS PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON CHICAGO\u2019S DEADLY \u2018WAR ZONE\u2019<\/p>\n
Pritzker, one of the country\u2019s most prominent Democrats and a rumored 2028 presidential frontrunner, has repeatedly declined Trump\u2019s offers to send the National Guard and federal authorities to crack down on crime in Chicago.
\nIn a news conference last year, Pritzker stated emphatically, \u201cMr. President, do not come to Chicago,\u201d adding, \u201cYou are neither wanted here nor needed here.\u201d
\nPritzker said, \u201cIf this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is \u2014 a dangerous power grab.\u201d
\nILLINOIS DEMOCRAT LEADERS BLAST TRUMP PUSH TO SEND NATIONAL GUARD TO CHICAGO<\/p>\n
In October, Pritzker mocked the notion that Chicago was undergoing a surge in violence during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s late-night show. Dressed in a Kevlar vest and standing in downtown Chicago, the governor quipped, \u201cThis is JB Pritzker, reporting from war-torn Chicago. As you can see, there\u2019s utter mayhem and chaos on the ground. It\u2019s quite disturbing.\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen people being forced to eat hot dogs with ketchup on them, and our deep dish pizza, well, has gone shallow. So, it\u2019s a challenge to survive here in the city of Chicago, but there\u2019s no hellscape that I\u2019d rather be in,\u201d said Pritzker.
\nFox News Digital reached out to Pritzker for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"