Chicago police were warned ahead of time about a “major incident” set to take place at a funeral home on the city’s south side Tuesday, hours before a hail of gunfire wounded at least 15 mourners, according to reports.
Chicago’s CBS affiliate claims that anti-violence activists had warned Chicago Police Department of a potential “retaliatory” event set to take place at the funeral for Donnie Weathersby, who family and friends say was killed in a drive-by shooting last week and may have had ties to a Chicago street gang.
“Sources told CBS 2’s Brad Edwards that police were forewarned there could be a retaliatory strike at the funeral service,” the outlet reported, though it cited only unnamed informants. “[Chicago Police First Deputy Supt. Eric] Carter said a squad car was assigned to the funeral.”
“That was assigned by the district commander as a precaution because the size of the funeral,” Carter added.
Weathersby was shot and killed last week while standing on a corner in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, where gang violence has skyrocketed since the city lifted coronavirus-related “shelter-in-place” restrictions back in late May. Officials believe his death was retaliation for an earlier drive-by shooting.
Chicago’s police superintendent David Brown acknowledged that CPD had received information about a potential retaliation shooting ahead of Weathersby’s service, but said deploying squad cars to gang-related funerals is standard for Chicago law enforcement.
“According to Brown, two squad cars were stationed at the funeral home and an additional tact team was deployed to the area – standard protocol, he said, for funerals involving victims with potential gang ties,” NBC 5 Chicago reported.
“Every gang funeral with any evidence of any kind of gang affiliation is treated similar,” Brown noted. “We investigated further and there was a gang connection and we deployed our resources accordingly.”
Chicago’s Fox 32 News reported late Tuesday that a black vehicle opened fire on a group of mourners outside the funeral home around 6:30 pm. Witnesses described a “hail of gunfire” and confusion, and 15 people were wounded with several still in serious condition at local hospitals.
“The 15 victims were being treated at five area hospitals, Carter said. Chicago fire officials said they were listed in conditions ranging from serious to critical,” the outlet noted. “[T]he victims ages range from 21 to 65-years-old, police said. Ten of them are women.”
“Carter said a black vehicle was speeding west on 79th Street when people inside began ‘firing at attendees of a funeral,'” per Fox local. “Some of those at the funeral returned gunfire with those in the vehicle. The driver then turned north onto Carpenter, while at least one person in the vehicle continued to shoot at the funeralgoers.’
Funeral shootings, particularly gang-related funeral shootings, are not unusual in Chicago. This incident, however, is notable for the number of victims – the largest single mass shooting event in recent memory.
Chicago police have yet to say whether they are considering persons of interest in the shooting, but did say that many witnesses are refusing to cooperate – a decision which could indicate the possibility of further violence.
“The individuals involved in this tit for tat have no interest in cooperating,” a Chicago police official told NBC. “They just want to go on to the next shooting incident.”