The crimewave across the U.S. exploded ahead of the notoriously violent Fourth of July weekend.
Major cities are bracing for the long weekend after a string of violent crimes over the past week, including in neighborhoods once considered safe.
In Chicago, an early morning shooting on Friday in the city’s downtown left two people dead and three others wounded. The incident marked the second shooting in as many months in the Loop, an iconic area of Chicago lined with skyscrapers and normally bustling with the nine-to-five crowd.
Homicides in the police district where the shooting took place are up 100% over last year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.