At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over Labor Day weekend, seven of whom died, NBC Chicago reported. The violence comes as the city’s mayor pushes back against President Donald Trump’s proposals to intervene in Chicago’s crime response.
Police said the shootings occurred in multiple separate incidents, with few resulting in arrests. Trump has floated the idea of sending in the National Guard or other federal officers to address crime in the city.
Among those killed so far are at least two women and three men, along with two others whose genders have not been specified. Authorities have not yet released the victims’ names. On Saturday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order restricting cooperation between local police and federal law enforcement.
“This executive order makes it emphatically clear that this president is not going to come in and deputize our police department,” Johnson said during a press conference alongside other city officials.
Under the order, Chicago police will continue enforcing state and local laws but will not participate in patrols, arrests, immigration enforcement, or other operations led by the National Guard or federal agencies.
“We will protect our Constitution, we will protect our city, and we will protect our people,” Johnson said. “We do not want to see tanks in our streets. We do not want to see families ripped apart. We do not want grandmothers thrown into the back of unmarked vans. We don’t want to see homeless Chicagoans harassed or disappeared by federal agents.”
The White House dismissed the mayor’s directive, accusing Democrats of politicizing public safety efforts.
“If these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticize the President, their communities would be much safer,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement to Reuters.
Chicago has faced persistent issues with gun violence. Over the Fourth of July weekend this year, 55 people were shot and six died. During Memorial Day weekend, 22 people were shot, two fatally, reports Fox News.City records show Chicago has recorded 272 homicides so far in 2025, including 225 fatal shootings.