Little Village leaders sound alarm after string of shootings
Concerns growing over violence in Little Village
A deadly mass shooting, a drive-by that left four people wounded and questions about another shooting involving an off-duty Chicago police officer. All of it happening in a matter of days. Tonight, local leaders are demanding answers.
CHICAGO - Community leaders in Little Village are demanding action after three shooting incidents in a matter of days, including the killing of a 22-year-old woman and a drive-by attack that wounded four people.
The recent violence has raised concerns about possible gang involvement, though authorities have not confirmed a connection between the incidents.
String of violence in Little Village
The backstory:
Francisco Somoza is still grieving the loss of his daughter, Abbygail Somoza, who was shot outside her home on Oct. 10 while preparing Halloween decorations with her mother.
"It’s a hard pain. I always saw the news with all these kids dying. I never felt that pain," Francisco Somoza said.
Abbygail’s father has raised the possibility that his daughter was caught in the crossfire of gang-related violence.
"They fight for streets, for property that don’t belong to them. I don’t know," he said.
Earlier this month, an off-duty Chicago police officer was involved in a shooting near 24th Street and Rockwell Street.
Days after Abbygail’s death, four people were wounded in a drive-by shooting near 26th Street and Pulaski Road. Police said a white sedan pulled up and someone inside opened fire.
Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council, said the recent violence has left community leaders feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.
"Little Village is on fire and all we have is a bucket of water. How did they expect us to turn off the fire?" Enriquez said.
Enriquez said he has been urging city leaders to invest in mental health resources to address the underlying causes of violence.
"But it falls on deaf ears. Right now all they care about is votes. How can I get the vote... they’re not addressing the real issues, which is that we have a mental health problem here in Little Village," he said.
He also called for stronger protections for witnesses and victims who may fear retaliation if they come forward with information.
"People do know who did it, but they’re afraid to come forward and they don’t give us witness protection or victim protection," Enriquez said.
What's next:
The Little Village Community Council is working to organize a peace march in hopes of helping families heal and putting additional pressure on city leaders to address violence in the neighborhood.
Fox Chicago reached out to Chicago police, but they had no updates on the three cases.
The Source: The information in this report came from interviews with Abbygail Somoza’s father and the Little Village Community Council, as well as information from Chicago police.