Chicago's Memorial Day Weekend: 26 Shot, Toddler Killed in Accidental Shooting
At least 26 people were shot and a 2-year-old boy died in an accidental shooting during Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. The holiday marked the city's fewest fatal shootings in over a decade.
A Tragic Loss Amid a Quiet Weekend
A 2-year-old Chicago boy died Sunday afternoon after fatally shooting himself inside a home on the South Side. The death was the only fatality from gunfire in Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend, marking a historic low for holiday violence in the city.
Jamonte Shaw was found inside a home in the 900 block of East 104th Street around 12:40 p.m. Sunday, according to the Chicago Police Department. He was taken to Comer Children's Hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead at 1:31 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.
A 31-year-old man was arrested in connection with the shooting, police said. Charges have not yet been announced.
Fewest Fatal Shootings in Over a Decade
As of 8 p.m. Monday, Chicago was on track to record its fewest fatal shootings over a Memorial Day weekend in at least 16 years, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The weekend runs from 5 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Tuesday. At least 26 other people were shot and injured during that period. That figure is up slightly from last year, when 25 people were shot, including four fatalities.
The contrast with recent years is stark. Between 2022 and 2024, Chicago saw between nine and 12 fatal shootings each Memorial Day weekend, with total shooting victims ranging from nearly 40 to nearly 50, according to city data.
"Those previous years, the violence has been crazy, but what I can say, this weekend, it has been lesser shootings and violence," said Justin Peters with Chitown Crime Chasers, a community violence interruption group.
Two Shootings Account for Nearly a Third of Injuries
Nearly 35 percent of this weekend's injured were shot in two separate incidents between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the Sun-Times.
Officers in Little Village responded to reports of gunshots around 3 a.m. in the 2500 block of South Washtenaw Avenue and found four teenage victims:
- A 14-year-old boy shot in the arm
- An 18-year-old woman shot in the buttocks
- A 16-year-old girl shot in the leg
- A second 16-year-old girl shot in the leg
All four were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. The victims told officers the gunman fled the scene. No arrests have been made in that case.
About 15 minutes later, another shooting left three men injured. One victim, a 29-year-old man, was shot multiple times and remains in critical condition. Two others, a 30-year-old man and a 27-year-old man, were each shot in the leg and are in fair condition. The 30-year-old was shot in the 2200 block of South Keeler Avenue in Little Village.
Police and Community Groups Work to Keep Peace
Chicago police canceled officers' days off and deployed a visible presence on the lakefront, downtown, and across neighborhoods over the weekend, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Community organizations also mobilized. Holy Trinity Church hosted a prayer gathering at Millennium Park on Monday night as part of an initiative called "Hands Across Chicago."
"We want Chicago to be one of the safest cities in the whole world, so we're just praying that there would be little violence or no violence," said Holy Trinity Church Sr. Pastor Jon Dennis.
"Could we dare to believe it's not 'What's up with the Chi? There's always so much violence,' but rather, 'What's up with Chicago?' Because we see hope rising, and we see friendships, and we see unity, and we see community," said Doc Fuder with Together Chicago.
The Vineyard Church of Hyde Park hosted a block party at 53rd and Greenwood. Community Life Pastor Aimee Tucker said the church plans to continue prayer gatherings through the summer.
"Chicago, throughout the summer, often has different challenges that are faced, and we know some of that first hand. We really want to pray for God's blessing on the city this summer," Tucker said.
Officers Hurt in Weekend Violence
Five police officers were injured during the Memorial Day weekend, according to FOX 32 Chicago. The network reported that dozens of people were shot and wounded across the city as the summer violence season got underway.
According to ABC7's Safety Tracker, homicides in Chicago over the past 12 months are down more than 20 percent compared to the average of the previous three years.