CHICAGO — President Trump took aim at Chicago Carnage in one of his latest tweets.
At 6:25 p.m., Trump tweeted: “If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible ‘carnage’ going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!”
Chicago has more violence and a higher rate of gun related death than LA and DC combined and 2016 topped the charts with the highest number of gun deaths on record. 2017 has already seen a 24% increase.
It’s a topic Trump commented on earlier this month when he suggested Mayor Emanuel should ask for federal help.
The mayor’s officer responded that the feds can help by passing new gun laws, holding criminals accountable and funding summer jobs programs to keep Chicago’s young people off the streets.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson also released a statement saying:
As the Mayor said just a few hours ago, the Chicago Police Department is more than willing to work with the federal government to build on our partnerships with DOJ, FBI, DEA and ATF and boost federal prosecution rates for gun crimes in Chicago.”
Keeping repeat gun offenders off the street would be a good first step in a long line of changes needed to get Chicago back on track. Hope the Feds can help.