Chicago is a city utterly plagued by violence. Father's Day weekend 2013 will be remembered as a bloody weekend for this city due to seven gun violence deaths, including the death of a 16-year old boy. Over thirty other victims were wounded in shootings as well. 16-year old, Kevin Rivera, was shot Saturday night by a gunman on a bicycle. On Sunday, friends and family came together outside of the young boy's Humboldt Park home to offer up their condolences with a candlelight vigil.

The first death of the weekend occurred on Friday night around 11 PM in the Austin neighborhood when McGregory Porter, 24, was shot in the eye during a disagreement. The altercation also left another man wounded with a gunshot to the abdomen. One of the deaths included a 24-year old man who was pursued on foot by police in the Lawndale Neighborhood on the West side. When the man ran into an alley and slipped and fell, he allegedly reached for a weapon from his waist band when attempting to stand. He was met with police fire.

Last year the homicide rate rose in Chicago while rates were decreasing in other major cities. This prompted the police to heavily focus on gangs. As a result, the homicide rates declined this year, until Father's Day weekend.

USA Today
Chicago Tribune