The deadly summer in Chicago has a new face: 7 year-old Heaven Sutton.
She was standing in front of her home, selling lemonade and candy on a hot afternoon last week, when she became the youngest person murdered this year in the Windy City, struck by a stray bullet.
So far this year Chicago has tallied 253 murders, compared to 193 in New York City, which is three times as large. The spike is also defying a national trend, as violent crime continues to decrease overall across the country. Community leaders and elected officials alike are scrambling to find solutions to stop the bloodshed.
So what is going on in Chicago? And what is being done to stop the violence? CNN's Roland Martin has been calling for action from the beginning and is OutFront tonight.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
Roland it's like we're in a war zone here. I can't understand how they let this city get so out of hand. I'm not trying to talk about anyone but after Mayor Daley tore down the projects and they implemented the scattered site housing I think that took a lot of people out of their element but they brought a lot of it to the neighborhoods. Even with school closings. They took people from one gang and now they're traveling into another territory and they just don't get the concept that no one owns the streets but the city. Now everybody is everywhere and you have these little factions running loose all over the city. Now the city has given Cease Fire a million dollar grant to go out and talk with the gang leaders.. There are no gang leaders to talk with. The police has said it! I think a lot of the violence started when Cease Fire came into the picture also. It's getting worse! It's sad!