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Mayor Johnson announces resources after Washington Park mass shooting
Mayor Brandon Johnson visited Washington Park Tuesday to highlight resources for people affected by gun violence. The Emergency Assistance Center opens Thursday with support for victims, survivors, families and community members.
CHICAGO - Mayor Brandon Johnson is visiting Washington Park Tuesday to promote an Emergency Assistance Center for people affected by gun violence following a deadly weekend in Chicago.
City officials outlined the services that will be available when the center opens to the public Thursday.
The visit follows a violent weekend in Chicago in which at least 41 people were shot, including three people who died. Among the shootings was a mass shooting Saturday night during a reunion celebration in Washington Park that wounded 14 people and killed 35-year-old Rontonio Guterz.
Johnson, Ald. Jeanette Taylor and other city leaders are also expected to canvass the area near 53rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue beginning at 11:30 a.m., handing out flyers and encouraging residents affected by gun violence to attend Thursday's event.
The Center will be open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Washington Park Fieldhouse, located at 5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr. The event will be open to anyone affected by recent violence, including victims, survivors, witnesses, family members and community members seeking support.
Services available include:
- Crime Victim Compensation applications
- Crisis and mental health counseling
- Victim services
- Domestic violence resources
- Youth services
- Connections to detectives
- Community resources and other support services
Several community organizations will participate, including Acclivus, Sunshine Gospel Ministries, Philadelphia Family Services, HRDI and Chicago Survivors.
Why you should care:
City officials say the Emergency Assistance Center is part of Mayor Johnson's effort to treat gun violence as a public health crisis by bringing immediate resources directly into neighborhoods affected by violence.
Rather than requiring victims and families to navigate multiple agencies, the city is bringing government departments and community organizations together in one location to provide immediate assistance and long-term support.
What you can do:
Chicago-based nonprofit Acclivus, which focuses on violence prevention and intervention, is also hosting a resource event Tuesday for people affected by gun violence.
The event will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5401 S. Wentworth Ave., Suite 12E, about a mile from Washington Park. Organizers said many of the same support services will be available, including counseling and victim assistance resources.
The Source: The information in this story came from the City of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.