Tallying up 31 months without a single homicide-free day, Chicago’s criminal community continues to keep the city’s mortuaries humming along. In fact, the city has totaled 504 homicides so far in 2022. That’s more homicides in a single city in America than 32 entire states reported in all of 2020, according to the Department of Justice.
While all murders are homicides, not all homicides are murders. Take, for instance, the case of a man who was sucker-punched by a big, burly bully while waiting to pay at a liquor store in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.
Security video shows the victim getting his CPU reset by a powerful blow to the head from behind as he paid for his purchase. Moments later, the victim returned to his feet and tried to leave. On his way out of the store, he pulled a pistol and when his attacker turned to look at him, the victim fired one shot at his attacker. Break out the tissues, folks, because the brazen bully suffered a mortal wound in the heart.
The sucker-puncher attempted to get back up but didn’t make it out of the store. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. You can see the uncensored full vide here.
That’s not a shooting most prosecutors will call justified self-defense. Chicago police haven’t identified the suspect or made any arrests yet. If it’s like 86.41% of the rest of the homicides so far this year in Chicago, they won’t.
Meanwhile, The Chicago Tribune reports on the prolific violence on the Windy City’s streets this way . . .
He beat up and robbed a man who was doing pizza deliveries. Then they became friends.
Their journey to friendship began in the most unlikely way.
On a snowy night in 2013, 22-year-old Ed Daniels Jr. jumped out of a red Ford Taurus on Chicago’s West Side with four men in tow. They beat up 56-year-old Guillermo Diaz — who was delivering pizza — and took all his money. Daniels was arrested that same night.
Nothing like burying their heads in the sand at the violence all around them. Perhaps that’s their coping mechanism. Either way, for the rest of us, Chicago simply isn’t safe.