Chicago violence leaves 8 dead, politicians criticized
‘Mornings with Maria’ anchor Maria Bartiromo covered a violent weekend in Chicago, reporting 24 shooting incidents involving 39 victims and at least eight deaths. Liz Peek also criticized city leaders, arguing that Chicago officials have failed to curb the city’s ongoing crime problem.
Two Chicago police officers were wounded by gunfire while struggling with an armed suspect during the Fourth of July weekend, as a series of unrelated shootings throughout the city killed three people and injured at least 16 more, preliminary police data showed.
Chicago police said Malik Wrightsell, 34, faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated assault of a peace officer, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon by a repeat felony offender and multiple additional counts tied to the shooting.
Authorities said the officers had initiated a traffic stop in the South Chicago neighborhood shortly before 5 p.m. Friday when Wrightsell ran from the scene. Police pursued him to the 7900 block of South Chappel Avenue, where he allegedly fought officers as they tried to arrest him.
Chicago police named 34-year-old Malik Wrightsell as the suspect charged after two officers were shot during a Fourth of July weekend traffic stop. (CPD)
As the struggle unfolded, investigators said Wrightsell drew a handgun and opened fire, hitting one officer in the abdomen. The officer’s ballistic vest stopped the round, and the officer then returned fire, striking Wrightsell.
A second officer was also struck in the arm during the encounter, though that officer’s ballistic vest also blocked the bullet, police said. Officers who arrived afterward provided medical assistance to both wounded officers and Wrightsell before all three were taken to nearby hospitals. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
Police said both officers were in good condition. Wrightsell was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
Two Chicago police officers were shot during a struggle with an armed suspect following a traffic stop over the Fourth of July weekend, authorities said. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The shooting was one of 11 shooting incidents recorded across Chicago between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, preliminary Chicago Police Department figures provided to News Agency show. The incidents left 16 people shot and three people dead.
Citing Chicago police, FOX 32 Chicago reported that six people between the ages of 17 and 20 were wounded in a mass shooting on the city’s West Side early Sunday.
About 10 minutes earlier, a 17-year-old girl was critically wounded in a separate shooting nearby. The station also reported that a 33-year-old man was fatally shot on the West Side, while a 31-year-old man was critically wounded after being found shot inside a home Sunday afternoon.
The skyline in Chicago, Illinois, where shootings across the city left three people dead and at least 16 others wounded, according to preliminary police figures. (iStock)
Several other shootings and stabbings were reported across the city over the holiday weekend.
The preliminary figures marked a sharp decline from the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 2025, when Chicago recorded 32 shootings involving 44 victims, including nine fatalities, FOX 32 Chicago reported.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
