On Saturday, Feb. 25 a shooting occurred on the Far North Side of Chicago in Pottawattomie Park, in the Rogers Park neighborhood. This was reported around 3:30 p.m., and according to the police, four people were in the park when two others carrying firearms fired toward the victims. One victim died while the other three were taken to the hospital.
“It’s very hard to believe that these people were just enjoying their Sunday afternoon when they were attacked by an armed person,” sophomore Lillian McConathy said. “I hope that their families are able to recover from this and will feel comfortable in their city,”
The second shooting that took place over the weekend was reported at 7:30 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 26. This event took place along South Vincennes Avenue where four people were shot inside, and three people died whereas one is expected to recover.
“When this information isn’t directly presented to you, it can be hard to be aware of everything that’s going on around the nation,” Chun said. “I’m sure that events like these happen all the time and we just aren’t aware of them,”
There are two sides of the City of Chicago. In 1830, a man named James Thompson created a map of Chicago that featured the city divided into three “sides”. The North Side, West Side, and South Side. All of these boundaries were set forth because of the way the Chicago River flew through the area, according to The University of Chicago.
“Here in San Francisco, we don’t really have different sides like there are in Chicago,” sophomore McConathy said. “I feel like this is far easier in terms of communication, especially when something like this happens, because just by saying the neighborhood you get a feel of where it is,”
Mass shootings are classified as such when at least four people are murdered with a gun, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Chicago, Illinois is a hotspot for mass shootings, and2021 was a record year for mass shootings in Chicago, as well as those injured and killed in these events in the recent history of the city.
“When all of these events are brought to my attention, it definitely gets scarier to go outside and be alone,” Chun said. “I think this especially applies to unsafe areas and to people who are not paying attention to their surroundings,”
The students of Convent High School want to share their support with everyone who is suffering during these events. With school shootings, mass shootings, and gun violence in general, students hope that everyone is able to stay safe, according to Chun.
“San Francisco has had mass shootings and there have been events like this all over the world,” McConathy said. “I hope that all of these peoples’ families are able to find some sort of way to heal over this devastating event.”
