3 killed, at least 34 wounded over Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. South Side hit hardest by gun violence

Chicago saw its least violent Memorial Day weekend in three years, with three people killed and 34 others wounded in shootings across the city.

While the overall tally was the same as in 2018, this past weekend was less deadly than three years ago when seven were killed and 30 others wounded. Last year, 10 people were shot dead and 39 others wounded over the holiday weekend.

Most of the people shot this weekend — 21 of them — were attacked on the South Side, according to a Sun-Times analysis. The Grand Crossing and Deering police districts had the most shootings with 5 each, trailed by four shot in South Chicago.

In preparation for the weekend, the Chicago Police Department canceled days off and put officers on 12-hour shifts. Community groups also fanned out across the city to draw people out of the line of fire.

Statistics released by Chicago police show the number of shooting victims has risen 24% over the same period last year. Through the end of May, 1,386 people have been shot in Chicago, a jump from 1,116 during the same time in 2020.

Murders have risen 5% compared to 2020, with the police department reporting 252 murders so far this year.

Man killed on West Side was “sweet as gold”

In the only fatal shooting on Memorial Day, Curtis Wilson, 40, was shot multiple times at 7:10 p.m. while riding in a car in the 700 block of North Spaulding Avenue, police said. The gunman fired from the sidewalk.

“Everybody loved him,” said Debra Wilson, his stepmother. She and hundreds of other mourners gathered in the parking lot of Stroger Hospital Monday night.

“He was sweet as gold,” she said.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

There were at least 13 bullet holes in the passenger side windows of the car Wilson was in. Dozens of evidence markers littered the block nearby.

“He was the type of person that threw good parties on the block. He had barbecues, treated the kids right, he was just a good person,” Debra Wilson said, noting that her stepson was sometimes called “Curty Man.”

Community activist Andrew Holmes implored the community to come together and share any information that could lead to the gunman’s arrest.

“This young man lost his life on Memorial Day. Memorial Day will never be the same for this family, so we pray for this family,” Holmes said.

Logan Square fatal shooting

Saturday night, a 29-year-old man was killed in Logan Square on the Northwest Side.

Mike Alicea was on the sidewalk about 9 p.m. when someone got out of a car in the 3700 block of West McLean Avenue and began shooting, according to Chicago Police.

He was struck in the arm and leg and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Residents in the block watched investigators work from their porches and windows.

“I can’t say I’m shocked,” a woman who was returning home with her husband said. “As soon as it gets warm, the shooters come outside.”

“We usually hear about shootings about a block away from here, or in the alleys a block away. It has never made it to our front yard like this,” her husband added.

Lawndale murder

Hours earlier, a 26-year-old man was fatally shot while driving in Lawndale on the West Side.

Luis Poole was driving east on Ogden Avenue when he was shot in the face and chest, police said. The car came to a rest after striking a light pole in the 3100 block West Ogden Avenue.

Poole was brought to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

4 shot in restaurant parking lot in Grand Crossing

Four teens were shot Sunday night as they stood in the parking lot of a restaurant in Grand Crossing on the South Side.

The group was near a Subway, 6718 S. Stony Island Ave., when a dark sedan drove by and someone inside fired shots, police said.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Two 19-year-olds, struck in the legs and feet, were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

An 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were struck in their legs, police said. They were also in good condition.

Belmont Cragin shooting

Two men were wounded in a shooting early Monday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side.

They were standing outside about 3:45 a.m. in the 5700 block of West Grand Avenue when someone approached and asked what gang they were affiliated with, police said.

The men responded that they were not part of a gang, police said. The gunman pulled out a weapon and fired.

One man, 33, was struck in the arm and torso and critically wounded, police said. The other, 31, was shot in the leg and in good condition.

Man shot in face on Lake Shore Drive

A man was wounded on Lake Shore Drive early Sunday in the Near South Side. The 20-year-old was traveling south about 12:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Lake Shore Drive when he was shot in the face, police and fire officials said.

He was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

12-year-old grazed

A 12-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet early Saturday in Great Crossing on the South Side. The boy was with a group of people about 1 a.m. when someone in a black Dodge Charger fired shots in the 7100 block of South Dobson Avenue, police said.

A bullet grazed his leg and he was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, police said. He may not have been the intended target, according to police.

At least 26 others were wounded in citywide gun violence from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.