Chicago bus shooting incident: Gunfire leaves one dead and another wounded 

On Sunday afternoon, a shooting on a Chicago bus left a 17-year-old dead and a 24-year-old injured.

According to Fox, two gunmen allegedly entered the bus at the 300-Block of South Pulaski road at 1:17 pm. Authorities reported that they walked to the back and opened fire on both victims. According to CBS, there are indications that they possessed automatic firearms, including an assault rifle.

Authorities reported that after the shooting, the alleged gunmen left the scene and headed towards East Chicago. The teen victim was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, but died due to his gunshot wounds. The 24-year-old, who was grazed in the head by a bullet, refused medical attention at the scene.

According to CBS, authorities believe this was a targeted attack. However, it is still unclear whether or not the 24-year-old was also a target, or simply a civilian caught in the midst of the shooting.

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Endemic gun violence in Chicago

The bus shooting is part of a pattern of rampant gun violence in the city, which according to CBS, saw 3561 shootings and 800 homicides in 2021.

As per WTTV, 2022 has been relatively calmer, though it has still seen over 971 shootings and 240 murders this year. While the homicide rate has seen a promising 8% decline, the rate of overall violent crime has increased by 4% as compared to last year.

According to CNN, the high murder rates in Chicago are often linked to street gang culture in lower-income minority neighborhoods. In an interview with Sun Times, Angela Hernandez-Sutton, who grew up on Pulaski Road, attributed many of the homicides to territorial gang feuds that are fought over the control of open air drug-markets.

She explained that as a result, violence has become normalised.

She said:

“I hear gunshots every day. Just listen to hear where they’re coming from, then move to the front or the back of the house.”

She said that in the years following the pandemic, shootings and homicides have become even more relentless.

Crime Lab reported that while Chicago has incredibly high homicide rates when compared to New York and Los Angeles, the violence is typically concentrated in a few pockets across the city. Sun Times reported that half of the city's homicides happened in only 10 of the 77 districts across the city.

According to the paper, many experts have claimed that the murders are due to disinvestment and a lack of career oppurtunities in lower income neighbourhoods. This was only exacerbated by the pandemic, which left many citizens struggling and unemployed.