Chiraq: 6 dead and 63 wounded over Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day is always bloody in Chicago. In 2015 a dozen people were shot to death in Chiraq and 50 were wounded. This year there were only six fatalities--but 63 shootings.

As with last year Chicago's Put Down the Guns Day kicked off the three day weekend.

While there were fewer murders during 2016's Memorial Day weekend, where some of them occurred deserves notice. Half of the homicides happened in three normally quiet Chiraq neighborhoods, Portage Park, West Rogers Park, and Lincoln Park. About that last one: A fifteen-year-old was killed while riding in a car on Lake Shore Drive at Fullerton in a drive-by shooting. Her boyfriend, who was wounded, is a documented gang member and a convicted felon--he's 28.

However, the deceased teen's mother told ABC Chicago, "All this killing is so stupid." So are her parenting skills.

Not included in the murder tally is a woman who was killed by a passing vehicle on Lake Shore Drive about ten blocks south of the teen girl's death while she was fleeing armed robbers.

I suspect that Batman's nemesis, Ra's Al Ghul, will decide soon to condemn Chicago and declare, "It is beyond saving."

As is almost always the case the bulk of the weekend shootings occurred on the West and South Sides.