A violent Memorial Day weekend marred the start to summer fun in Chicago.
There was some discrepancy in the statistics, with Chicago police telling CNN that six people were shot and killed, and 42 were injured in gunfire from Friday evening through midnight Monday,
However, an analysis by the Chicago Tribune had a higher figure, finding at least 69 people were shot over the weekend.
What’s clear though are that police are gearing up for what traditionally is a busy season after this winter saw a marked rise in violence over last year. Gun violence in the Windy City tends to be lower during the brutal winter months.
By the end of March, 141 people had been killed, according to Chicago police, marking a 71.9% jump from the same period in 2015 when 82 people were killed.
The Rev. Ira Acree, a longtime pastor in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, said he’s worried about what the warm months may bring.
“It’s horrifying to look at the numbers from this winter,” Acree said last month, “because if it’s that bad in the winter, we better brace for a long, hot summer.”
The unofficial summer season begins Memorial Day and lasts through Labor Day.