Violence Interrupters’ Exec. Dir.: Chicago Is on Pace to Break a Record in Homicide Reductions, Down 17% Already

EXCERPT:

HARDIMAN: "Yeah, I think President Trump is trivializing the issue based on the fact that Chicago had we‘ve experienced systemic decades-long of gun violence in Chicago, first and foremost. We have laws we must abide by, and policies here in Illinois. I believe — I would like to recommend that President Trump reach out to governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson and have a conversation with them and talk about trying to organize in regards to what it might take to bring the homicides down a little bit more. Right now, Chicago is on pace to break a record in homicide reductions in the year of 2025. We‘re down 17% already this year, according to the same time last year, so there‘s a chance we might reach under 400 homicides. One is too many. Don‘t get me wrong. But we may experience under 400 homicides in Chicago this year, so a lot of good efforts are being implemented in Chicago by the governor and the mayor here in Chicago. I just want to say that. And Donald Trump is used to doing whatever he chooses to do, so I would like to tell him to put the brakes on for a minute, reach out to Governor Pritzker. Let‘s try to bring it together so we should not play politics with people‘s lives out here."