Before President Barack Obama could officially announce his proposals to help curb gun violence two people had already been shot in his hometown of Chicago that day. About an hour after Obama spoke Tuesday, before pundits and candidates were done breaking down the proposals, it would rise to three.
By the end of the day, 12 people had been shot and four were dead. Not a single person was in custody in connection with any of the shootings as of midday Wednesday. This type of violence is precisely what Obama wants to end.
Obama teared up when speaking about the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012. But as he mentioned, such mass shootings, while receiving heavy media coverage, account for a small percentage of those killed by guns.
“By the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every day,” he said, referring to his hometown where he began his political career. Now he aims to make a difference or at least a dent by expanding the background check system and providing more funding for mental health treatment.
In the first five days of 2016, police in Chicago say shootings are already up more than 176% — 47 compared with 17 in 2015. Ten of this year’s shootings were homicides.
Illinois has some of the nation’s strictest gun-control laws, and authorities are continuously pulling guns off the streets, but these measures seem to do little to end the violence. How to change what’s happening in Chicago and in other cities around the nation is entirely debatable depending on where you are on gun policy. But the human toll is one thing nobody can ignore.
Here’s what police say was the toll in Chicago on the day of Obama’s emotional plea to end gun violence:
6:40 a.m.
A 43-year-old man was shot outside his SUV. He told police he was standing next to his vehicle when someone opened fire. He was shot in the right side of his torso and right arm, and he drove himself to the police station.
7:25 a.m.
An unknown male approached a 26-year-old man, a gang member, and shot him in the abdomen. The shooter then fled. The 26-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. Police said they consider the shooting to be gang-related.
10:43 a.m. CT (11:43 a.m. ET)
Obama began making a passionate call for a national “sense of urgency” to limit gun violence.
11:13 a.m. CT (12:13 p.m. ET)
The President mentioned violence in Chicago during his speech and urged everyone to demand the country “stand up to protect its citizens” and ensure “governors and legislators and businesses do their part to make our communities safer.”
11:19 a.m. CT (12:19 p.m. ET)
Obama wrapped up his speech by calling on Americans to “find the courage to get mobilized and organized. We can find the courage to cut through all the noise and do what a sensible country would do. That’s what we’re doing today. And tomorrow, we should do more. And we should do more the day after that. And if we do, we’ll leave behind a nation that’s stronger than the one we inherited.”
12:25 p.m.
An 18-year-old was shot in the left thigh while walking on the sidewalk when a male in a dark SUV opened fire. Police said the victim is a gang member and the shooting is believed to be gang-related. He was taken to the hospital and was in good condition.
3:35 p.m.
Three teenagers were standing on a corner in the Grand Crossing neighborhood when shots were fired from a gray Ford Explorer. Two of the teens were killed and a third wounded. A boy, 16, was shot in the head, a 17-year-old girl was shot in the chest and the other 16-year-old boy was shot in the hand. He was taken to the hospital and was in good condition. Police said both male victims were gang members and believe the shooting is gang-related.
4:52 p.m.
A 20-year-old man was shot in the shoulder. He told police he was sitting in a car when someone on foot shot at the vehicle. The victim took himself to the hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
5:32 p.m.
A male walked up to a 17-year-old gang member and shot him in the chest, police said. He was transported to the hospital in serious condition.
6:34 p.m.
A man, 25, was shot in the Bronzeville neighborhood. He said he was walking on the sidewalk when two men in a black SUV approached and one fired from a vehicle.
6:45 p.m.
A 23-year-old man was shot in the left leg, right foot and buttocks while standing near a parked vehicle. He said a vehicle pulled up and someone opened fire.
8:20 p.m.
A 23-year-old man was killed inside his home when an unknown attacker shot him in the face during a fight.
8:21 p.m.
A man, 25, was shot in the Brighton Park neighborhood when someone in a car opened fire. The man was hit in the abdomen and later died at the hospital.
