Chicago gangs asked not to shoot guns during daytime

A community group has asked Chicago's many gangs to refrain from engaging in gunfights during daylight hours. Rogers Park based Native Sons urged would-be shooters to hold off on pulling the trigger between 9 am and 9 pm in an effort to improve safety in the crime-riddled city.

Gang violence has led to a spike in shootings across Chicago as of late with rival gangs operating at all times of the day. Native Sons expressed hope that by adhering to their proposal, which they refer to as "The People’s Ordinance," ordinary people won't have to worry about getting caught in the crossfire at certain times of the day.

"We have to start somewhere," Native Sons co-founder Tatiana Atkins told CWBChicago. "Our goal is to approach our city’s gun violence problem strategically and not all at once. Things didn't become this way overnight, and change won't happen overnight."

“Under this ordinance, we ask that people stop associating with and glorifying’ shooters,’ stop glorifying ‘switches,’ and stop wearing those ski masks everywhere which perpetuates you as some ‘opp,'” Atkins said. “When those who live a certain lifestyle try to hang with ‘regular’ class citizens, they put everyone at risk.”

Along with the time limits, the ordinance called on Chicagoans to stop glorifying gangsters and gangsters to stop trying to "hang with 'regular' class citizens," thereby putting everyone at risk.
 

"If people know that after a certain hour, the likelihood of them being shot by an unknown and unprovoked assailant are at a higher risk," Atkins suggested, "they will be less likely to be out and about, and they may become more proactive with the supervision of their children."

“At the end of the day, five-year-olds are being killed by gun violence, 14-year-olds are being killed by gun violence, 78-year-olds are being killed by gun violence, pregnant women are being killed by gun violence, young boys with bright futures are being killed by gun violence, fathers are being killed by gun violence, and this shouldn’t be happening,” Atkins said.

She argued that ending gun violence entirely is not a viable goal, thus the focus should be placed on mitigating the risk shooters pose to ordinary people.

Native Sons has not petitioned elected officials to table legislation. Atkins explained that the movement would be "carried along by social media and the media." She claimed to have already "reached out" to various gang members and received "positive feedback than negative."

"We live in a trend society," she said. "The more media, government officials, and community residents believe in this ordinance and stand behind it, the more likely the people will align with the ordinance."