Merrick Garland heading to Chicago to tackle surging gun violence
By Josh Gerstein 6 hrs ago
Attorney General Merrick Garland is heading to his hometown of Chicago on Thursday to signal the Biden administration’s commitment to reining in the surge of gun violence plaguing many of America’s biggest cities.
Garland is set to unveil a set of new gun “strike forces” aimed at shutting down the pipelines of guns being illegally trafficked into urban centers, but his visit is sure to be received with some skepticism as just the latest policy pronouncement from Washington. Shootings in the Windy City have seemed out of control for years, particularly in the summer.
Last weekend, 56 people were shot in Chicago; 11 of them fatally. Over the Fourth of July weekend, at least 108 people were shot with at least 17 people killed, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"We are redoubling our efforts as ATF works with law enforcement to track the movement of illegal firearms used in violent crimes," Garland said in a statement. "These strike forces enable sustained coordination across multiple jurisdictions to help disrupt the worst gun trafficking corridors."
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