CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot was on the West Side on Monday morning talking about the major incidents of gun violence, which early-on seemed to both be gang-related retaliations.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said little about the investigations into the multiple shooting incidents this past weekend, leaving that to the police superintendent; but in an unrelated West Side appearance, she called the shootings and those like them "heartbreaking" and "frustrating."
Heartbreaking for the families traumatized by gun violence, she said, and "what's also frustrating and heartbreaking is that for some in the community, the thirst for revenge has no sense of decency. They don't want to let the criminal justice system play itself out. They want to engage in street justice, which is tragic," Lightfoot said.
And too often, she said, bystanders get hurt or killed.
The Mayor again called for the Cook County court system to fully reopen, so she said, those who commit such violence will face certain justice.
"I am calling upon our county partners, and particularly those in the criminal courts. Open up the courts. People need to get their day in court. Justice delayed is justice denied. And you are hurting not only those who are charged, but also those in the community - the victims, the survivors, and the witnesses, who need to have a measure of justice," Lightfoot said.
The office of Chief Cook County Judge Tim Evans said it’s not accurate to suggest courts are closed. Since March, criminal jury trials have restarted at the courthouse, a spokeswoman noted:
“Among the most important reasons the courts of this country exist is to provide justice for both the victims of crime and the accused. The courts have been open and resolving these matters. It is disingenuous for anyone to say that the courts have been closed.”
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