Chicago’s Labor Day weekend, typically a time for end-of-summer celebrations, was instead overshadowed by a grim tally of violence that left at least seven people dead and nearly fifty others wounded in a series of shootings across the city. The spate of gunfire, which erupted between Friday night and Monday, September 1, 2025, drew national attention and reignited fierce debate over public safety, policing, and federal intervention in America’s third-largest city.
According to ABC News and CBS News Chicago, the violence began late Friday, August 29, when police responded to a call on South Eberhart Avenue. There, a 43-year-old man was shot in the left shin following an argument, but survived. Just before midnight, officers discovered two women, ages 23 and 25, shot inside an apartment on South Essex Avenue; the 25-year-old later died, while the 23-year-old was stabilized at the hospital. These incidents set the tone for a weekend marked by relentless gunfire, with victims ranging in age from just 14 to 50.
Saturday saw a particularly brutal series of attacks. At 12:42 a.m., a 27-year-old man was shot in the left thigh on West 112th Street, while at 1:03 a.m., a man and woman, both 35, were wounded on West Fifth Avenue. Not long after, a 17-year-old boy was shot multiple times on South Trumbull Avenue and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in good condition. Later that morning, in East Garfield Park, two men—aged 29 and 32—were shot when a dark SUV pulled up and a gunman opened fire. The 29-year-old died from his injuries, while the 32-year-old was stabilized.
The violence continued into the afternoon and evening. Two men were shot on West Huron Street, one critically. Around 7:46 p.m., a 43-year-old woman was killed after five armed men approached and opened fire in Altgeld Gardens. The night did not relent: two 18-year-old men were shot in East 79th Street, while a 17-year-old girl was struck by a bullet that entered her home on South Wolcott Avenue. In Bronzeville, a drive-by shooting at 11:10 p.m. left seven people wounded, all with non-life-threatening injuries. Police reported that a vehicle drove by a group gathered outside on South State Street and at least one occupant fired into the crowd.
Sunday brought no respite. Among the most severe incidents was a triple shooting in the Pilsen neighborhood at 1:39 a.m., where a 46-year-old man was killed and two others wounded. In West Inglewood, a 33-year-old man died after being shot in the head during a quarrel inside a residence. That same evening, a 26-year-old woman was fatally shot in Pullman after a verbal altercation with another woman escalated. In Little Village, police discovered a man with multiple gunshot wounds on South Drake Avenue; he died at the scene. Across the city, people were shot while walking, driving, or simply standing outside their homes.
Monday, September 1, brought another burst of violence. Just after 1 a.m., officers responded to a large gathering in the 3600-block of South Cottage Grove near Ellis Park. According to Chicago police and WLS, they heard gunshots and found five people wounded, including a 17-year-old boy in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. The other victims—a 36-year-old woman, a 33-year-old man, a 26-year-old man, and another 33-year-old man—were all expected to recover. Four firearms were recovered at the scene, and one person of interest was being questioned. Only two hours later, police responded to another shooting at a bar near Vincennes and East 47th Street, where a suspect shot through the front entrance, though no one was injured.
In total, police reported at least 54 people shot, seven fatally, over the holiday weekend. The scale and frequency of the violence drew national attention, particularly from President Donald Trump, who renewed threats to send federal agents and National Guard troops to Chicago. In a post on his social media platform, Trump warned Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, “He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming!” The president’s remarks referenced a similar federal response in Washington, D.C., earlier in August, when he declared a public safety emergency and placed the city’s police force under federal control.
Governor Pritzker, a Democrat, forcefully rejected the idea of federal intervention, calling Trump’s plan “unprecedented and unwarranted. It is illegal, it is unconstitutional, it is un-American.” At a press conference, Pritzker added, “Do not come to Chicago, you are neither wanted here nor needed here. Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city to punish its dissidents and score political points. If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is – a dangerous power-grab.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson echoed Pritzker’s concerns, saying he had “grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to the city of Chicago,” and calling Trump’s approach “uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound.” Johnson argued that a militarized response could “inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement.” On August 30, Johnson signed an executive order dubbed the “Protecting Chicago Initiative,” directing the city’s law department to “pursue any and every legal mechanism to hold this administration accountable for violating the rights of Chicagoans.” Johnson warned, “We have received credible reports that we have days, not weeks, before our city sees some type of militarized activity by the federal government. We take these threats seriously and we find ourselves in a position where we must take immediate, drastic action to protect our people from federal overreach.”
Despite the violent weekend, official city data—cited by ABC News—shows that violent crime in Chicago has actually dropped significantly in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024. Shootings are down 37%, homicides have dropped by 32%, and total violent crime has decreased by more than 22%. Nevertheless, the Labor Day weekend shootings have reignited debate over whether local efforts are enough, or if federal intervention is justified or even legal.
Meanwhile, the city’s residents are left to grapple with the aftermath. “At the end of the day to have one person that was critically injured, and four folks in the hospital, whatever the situation it was senseless,” said 4th Ward Alderman Lamont Robinson, reflecting a sentiment that resonates across communities weary of gun violence. As the political battles continue, Chicagoans wait anxiously to see what comes next—hoping for a future in which weekends are remembered for barbecues and parades, not police tape and tragedy.
