Swansenreport

Certainly not the way you’d like to start the summer holiday season.

21 Shot, 5 Officers Struck by Car as Chicago’s Memorial Day Weekend Turns Violent

At least 21 people have been shot across Chicago this Memorial Day weekend, including several teenagers — while five police officers were struck by a vehicle during a so-called “teen takeover” on the city’s Near West Side early Sunday morning.

The victims range in age from 14 to 51. The weekend’s violence began Friday evening and continued through Sunday afternoon, with shootings spread across multiple neighborhoods. Among the incidents: a 17-year-old boy was asleep in his home when gunfire pierced a window and struck him in the ankle; a 29-year-old woman was shot three times in the leg by a man who approached her outside her residence; and four young people were shot in the Little Village neighborhood near 25th and Washtenaw Avenue on Sunday. NOTUS

The most striking incident occurred in the early morning hours Sunday, when five Chicago police officers were struck by a driver while dispersing a large crowd at Loomis Street and Roosevelt Road. Alderman Jim Gardiner said police were responding to what he described as a “teen takeover.” All five officers were taken to area hospitals and listed in fair condition. The National Desk

Teen takeovers — large, social media-organized gatherings of teenagers that frequently turn chaotic — have been a growing problem in Chicago and other cities throughout the spring. Mayor Brandon Johnson had warned parents about the “teen trends” in the wake of earlier incidents in March and April, calling them “dangerous and can often turn violent,” though he avoided using the term “takeover.” Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling had spoken publicly just Thursday about the department’s plan to take a proactive approach to preventing the gatherings from escalating over the holiday weekend. Democracy Docket

The weekend’s violence arrives as the “teen takeover” phenomenon is spreading nationally. Experts are warning that social media-fueled gatherings will escalate as temperatures rise through summer. Police departments in Tampa, Houston, and other cities have also deployed significant resources to address the trend in recent weeks. The White House told Fox News Digital this weekend that Trump’s Safe and Beautiful Task Force “remains ready” to address rising crime as new challenges emerge. Democracy Docket

This story is developing. Numbers are expected to rise as the weekend concludes.

Sources: CBS Chicago | ABC7 Chicago — Officers Struck | ABC7 Chicago — Little Village Shooting | Fox News — Teen Takeover Trend