At least 40 people shot over Memorial Day weekend in Chicago

Washington, May 30: A string of shootings brought the total number of people shot during the Memorial Day weekend to at least 40, the Chicago Police Department said on Sunday.

Between Saturday afternoon and early Sunday alone, one man was killed and 24 others wounded across Chicago, Xinhua news agency reported.

A 27-year-old man was shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene on Saturday afternoon. A gun was recovered on the scene, but it is not clear whether it belonged to the victim or the person who shot him, said Officer Michelle Tannehill, a spokeswoman for the Chicago police.

The Memorial Day usually marks the start of summer in Chicago, when the city re-opens its Lake Michigan beaches, resumes regular fireworks displays at Navy Pier, and kicks off various recreational events and sport activities.

But the Memorial Day weekend, which lasts from Friday to Tuesday this year, also witnesses an increasing violence. Over the holiday weekend last year, 12 people were killed and at least 44 wounded in Chicago.

IANS