HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) — Recent deadly shootings in Harvey are believed by police to be the latest chapter in a longstanding feud between two groups involved in multiple incidents since 2018.
Officials are now considering every possible measure to reduce tensions. On Monday, police assured the public that there is no broader danger, as the violence is confined to the conflict between these groups.
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“Let me be clear, we will not allow a senseless rivalry to hold this city hostage,” said Harvey Police Chief Cameron Biddings.
Police said the attacks that played out over the weekend were not random acts of violence, but were carried out by “known individuals.”
“This violence stems from an ongoing conflict between individuals with a lengthy and disruptive history in our city. We know them well, and they have negatively impacted our community for too long, causing multiple disturbances including violence and threats,” stated Biddings.
Authorities reported that two men opened fire at a house party at the corner of 145th and Des Plaines, injuring five people, including a 4-year-old boy, on Saturday night.
Police said all of those victims are in stable condition.
A Concealed-Carry License holder who was at the gathering fired back, killing one of the suspects and injured the other, who is in police custody.
The next morning, Harvey police found a man dead in a minivan on the 200-block of Calumet Boulevard, while another person inside was unharmed.
Investigators are calling that shooting a targeted, retaliatory act where more than 30 rounds were fired.
One neighbor, who did not want to show their face, described the early morning chaos.
“It sounded like someone was hitting garbage cans. I heard at least around 40 rounds. A lot of gunshots,” a neighbor recounted.
Police say these two incidents are the latest in a conflict that has gone back nearly seven years.
“We’ve investigated these individuals before. We’ve responded to their disputes. We’ve talked with the family members, witnesses and neighbors, and we documented a pattern of violence that is now escalated again with devastating consequences,” said Harvey Police Dep. Chief Derrick Charles.
Now, police said, they will increase patrols in targeted areas and reach out to community leaders to help mediate the situation. They emphasized that while these incidents are serious, they are also isolated.
“We will not be defined by violence and will not be defined by any ongoing, engage anyone that are engaging in acts of violence within our city. Together, we will reclaim our peace in the city of Harvey,” Biddings said.
Police saying have intervened in the past and will continue to do so to stop what they’ve called a violent “cycle” before it continues to escalate.
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