Chicago shootings leave 7 dead, dozens wounded as Trump renews call for military deployment

At least seven people have been killed and dozens more injured in a series of shootings across Chicago over the weekend, with President Donald Trump renewing calls for military deployment to the city.

According to preliminary information from Chicago police, at least two dozen shooting incidents were reported between Friday evening and Sunday.

The violence included a mass shooting during Juneteenth celebrations that left 12 people wounded.

The shooting occurred Friday evening when an SUV pulled up to a crowd gathered on a Chicago street and two people inside the vehicle opened fire, the police said. Twelve victims, eight men and four women aged between 17 and 47, were taken to four hospitals for treatment. Another man sustained injuries, but declined medical assistance.

Among those killed in separate incidents over the weekend were a 33-year-old man, a 34-year-old one, and another, who was 21 years of age. Authorities have not yet released the identities of most victims.

Amid the violence, Trump again urged federal "intervention" and questioned why Illinois Governor JB Pritzker had not sought "assistance."

"Why isn’t Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He also claimed that Washington, D.C., had become significantly safer following federal action.

The Trump administration has previously deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as well as in Democratic-led cities, including New Orleans and Memphis.

However, a recent study by the nonpartisan Niskanen Center found the National Guard's presence had only a minimal effect on violent crime in the US capital.

Pritzker has repeatedly opposed federalizing National Guard troops in Illinois and previously sued to block such deployments.

Trump's call for troop deployment to Chicago have, meanwhile, conjured up unwelcome memories of deadly shooting incidents involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis during his current administration.

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