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Deadly Juneteenth Weekend Fuels Clash Over Trump Offer of Federal Help and Chicago Plan for Gun‑Violence Department

The dispute could shape whether the city turns to short-term federal enforcement or to a new local agency that would coordinate long-term prevention.

Overview

  • Chicago police say 24 shootings from Friday through Sunday left 39 people wounded and six dead, including a mass shooting on the South Side in which a red SUV opened fire on a crowd.
  • President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social urging Governor J.B. Pritzker to call him and offering rapid federal intervention, citing past deployments to other cities.
  • Governor Pritzker said he has asked the FBI, the DEA and the ATF for assistance, stopping short of endorsing a militarized response.
  • Community groups, city officials and faith leaders gathered at City Hall to back a proposed Department of Gun Violence Prevention that would centralize existing programs, gain procurement power, and aim for an initial budget-neutral shift to long-term, taxpayer-funded support.
  • Local leaders and clergy publicly rebuked calls for federal troops or a militarized approach, demanded restoration of prevention funding, and warned the debate will hinge on whether resources are redirected to community programs or toward short-term enforcement.