CHICAGO -- Chicago's holiday weekend was marred by bouts of gunfire and a dozen killings, continuing a yearlong surge in violence in the third largest U.S. city that has pushed the number of murders to a nearly two-decade high.
Police blamed gang conflicts for much of the violence.
From Dec. 23 through Dec. 26, there were 44 shooting incidents in the city of 2.7 million and 12 people were killed, according to the Chicago Police Department. The number of murders in Chicago stands at 754 for the year.
The murder rate is the highest since 1997, when 761 people were killed.
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"These were deliberate and planned shootings by one gang against another," Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at news conference on Monday. "They were targeted knowing fully well that individuals would be at the homes of family and friends celebrating the holiday."
Ninety-percent of those fatally wounded during the weekend had gang affiliation, criminal history and were pre-identified by technology used by the police department to recognize people who might be involved in gun violence, Johnson said.
