Police were monitoring several car caravans in Chicago early Sunday when one turned violent, with five people shot, three fatally, in what police called a gang-related dispute, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Illegal "drifting" events have grown more numerous this year in Chicago, leading over the summer to clashes between police and drivers. City officials clamped down with stiffer penalties and police blockades of streets, but the illegal street-takeovers have continued every weekend for the past several weeks. "It's traumatizing the city and we're not doing anything about it," complained local alderperson Raymond Lopez, who is running for mayor.
Police used surveillance video to observe the caravan on the city's southwest side, with 100 drivers and people drifting into the intersection. As police began to head to the scene, at least 13 gunshots were recorded by gunshot detectors around 4 a.m., said Police Cmdr. Don Jerome. The three fatalities were males between 15 and 20 with gang affiliations, Jerome said. Police were still searching for one or more gunmen. One area merchant questioned whether the caravans had become too large and numerous to control. "It's like, what can you do?" asked Johnny Castro, who owns a local bakery. Alderman Lopez said the city's laws against drifting are "passive." Police should target social media accounts responsible for promoting the events. With gang members now attending these drifting events, “we’ll continue to have dangerous climaxes” like on Sunday, Lopez said.
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