Chicago gang violence shows no signs of stopping

(CBS News) CHICAGO - There is a war going on -- not overseas, but right here on the streets of America. A gang war has taken over parts of Chicago.

Over the weekend, 14 people were shot. Two were killed.

So far this year, there have been more than 2,364 shootings and 487 homicides.

CBS News National Correspondent Dean Reynolds rode along with Commander Leo Schmitz of Chicago Police Department's 7th district. The area is a gang-related swath of the city's South Side. They started to drive as children were leaving school for the day.

"When you have them coming out of school, and there's any kind of gang conflicts, you've got a mix like fire and gasoline," Schmitz said.

The gangs are fighting a war over turf, drugs and money.

"It's crazy," he said. "What used to be a fist fight now turns into, 'Let's go to the guns,'" Schmitz said.

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Shooting deaths are up 20 percent in the city this year, though in the 7th district Schmitz and his team have managed to cut homicides by 30 percent.

He credits better intelligence from informants, increased patrols and a citywide crime-tracking database.

"We use the knowledge," Schmitz said. "So, if there's a shooting right here, we know that the retaliation will be a block down."

The police gave us a bulletproof vest for the trip, and within minutes it because crystal clear why.

A block away, a man walking was a target. The suspect was fleeing the scene.

"He done shot at me right here!" the man said.

Police apprehended a Chicago suspect who allegedly shot another man. The shooting supposedly has roots in gang violence.

/ CBS News

The commander and his men ran down the suspected shooter, 21-year-old Julian Gayles. Police think the shooting was probably gang-related.

The police also received the weapon. Schmitz described it as a 9mm Beretta.

"If you can see the hammer's already (up)," he said. "That means he just shot it."

Chicago has seized more guns this year than New York and Los Angeles combined. The violence is so bad that the heavily armed police now attend gang funerals to prevent revenge killings. Schmitz said he doesn't just want to maintain a level of clam.

"I want to win," Schmitz said. "So, we're going to always try to do better than we did before."

It didn't get much better this weekend. Among the victims was an off-duty cop.

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[DavidKoch]

so enact Gun Free zones where these gang bangers hang out, when a gunshot is heard the Entire Area and all citizens get searched, your in a gun free zone you are subject to search and siezure of all firearms, these punks carry guns everywhere and dont care about laws so when the searches and road blocks go up and everyone is then processed for search. Get tough and enforce the laws on the books, your a minor and you use a gun in a crime, you get two years mandatory city service, painting, trash, cleaning the areas around your crime....GET TOUGH, Stop being scared of these gangs and enforce search and siezure, these arent your common citizen thats licensed for conceal and carry

[judymar14]

Yes, and if a/or policeman/men would have shot Julian Gayles, the signs would be brought out and demostrations would get organized by Jesse Jackson, leading the pack calling for the cop/cops to be arrested.

It will never happen because it makes too much sense...but, bring our servicemen home from the middle-east and fight our own inner-city wars. Then again, the first gangbanger shot by a soldier, said soldier would be called a racist and the higher ups would have to placate those who cried for po-lese to do they're jobs call for his blood.

[jdmac45]

Good thing conceal carry is illegal in Illinois, because those thugs would be out of control if it weren't. *sarcasm*

[FromCalifornia]

Bullet tax is only going to affect the people who really need the guns for self defense, target shoot, or hunt. IT is no wonder that Chicago has problems like this with brilliant ideas like gun or ammunition control to curb illegal behavior. Hate to break it to you but criminals DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR SILLY GUN LAWS. Only law abiding citizens are put at risk with gun control laws. Want a 100% pro vote on total elimination of guns? Take a poll at any prison. They won't care about your ban, and their lives will be safer when they come after you because you will care. And that makes sense?

[sallychicago]

The (black) gang problem is deeply rooted in culture and generations. These are the sons and nephews of the previous gang members who are in prison now. They grew up in this environment. You go to the black southside and you see little boys who look up to these thugs....I mean they start young, they WANT to be a gangster. You have to de-glamorize it. Going to jail is a badge of honor to these thugs.

[lapredator]

Looks worst then the condition out there in Afghanistan .

[joesapper]

Get rid of the drugs and the gun play will also leave , but hey many States are trying to legalize drugs , well there goes that plan . I could talk about gun laws of control but the State that Chicago is in has some of the strongest gun control laws in the Nation .

But just remember the DEMs do not think it is a drug problem .

[bobnjersey]

[But just remember the DEMs do not think it is a drug problem ]
----------------------------------------
they do revenge killings for drugs?

[sallychicago]

That's what the Mexican governor said -- American is the reason for all the violence because of our drug use.

[rwsmith29456]

The weapons and killings won't go away unless gangs and individuals adopt a different mindset.

[joesapper]

That is the problem , they have an altered state of mind due to drugs . So changing the mindset , one needs to get rid of the drugs .

[andacar]

Nope, and it isn't really the drugs either. These gangs have been around so long that membership has become a fine old family tradition for many of them. Sgt. Matt Little has it quite right: it has become a situation like in Lord of the Flies.

[sallychicago]

It's deeply rooted in culture and generations.

[realsickofit]

Maybe the Mayor should try the Kennesaw Ga approach to the problem, seems to work for them.
All heads of households required to own a gun and ammunition.
http://rense. com/general9/gunlaw.htm
Remove the space in the link.

[checkthefact]

Anyone who thinks Kennesaw, Georgia has a solution to big city, USA problems does not understand the nature of the situation.

[eroteme2]

How does Chicago compare to Afghanistan as a combat zone?