The police in Chicago say at least 44 people were shot within a space of 14 hours in the city on Sunday.
Police records showed that five people were killed in the disturbing incident which began at 1:30am.
Fred Waller, chief, Bureau of Patrol, Chicago police department, said: “As you may be aware, the city of Chicago experienced a violent night.
“Incidents of either random or targeted shooting on our streets are totally unacceptable.
“Far too often, we continue to see the devastating effects that illegal guns have in some of our communities.
“They underscore the real problem of violent criminals who use illegal guns in some of our communities without the fear of consequences of their actions.
“Some of these instances were targeted and were related to gang conflicts in those areas.”
According to Waller, in at least one incident, shooters opened fire into a crowded street party, adding the shootings occurred between midnight and 2pm.
Of the wounded who reported an age, the oldest was 62 and the youngest 11, police records show.
Police said before the particularly violent Sunday, there were six shootings, none fatal, on Friday, and 15 shootings, one fatal, on Saturday.
Chicago has struggled with high shooting and murder rates in recent years and Waller said shootings were down 30 percent from 2017, and murders are down 25 percent.
June marked 15 straight months of fewer killings and shootings, police said, adding, however, on June 25, at least 21 were shot and two died.
President Donald Trump had threatened in January 2017 to send Federal law enforcement officers to Chicago if the city’s homicide rate did not come down.
“If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible ‘carnage’ going on, I will send in the Feds!” Trump tweeted.
He said in his tweet that 228 shootings and 42 homicides had been recorded in about three weeks in Chicago just between Janauary 1 and January 24, 2017. (AFP)
