(Photo By Flickr User Matt Gibson)

The City Of Chicago, IL, has seen more than 60 children shot this year

More than 60 children aged 15 or younger have been shot in The Windy City this year.

The Chicago Tribune & WGEM-TV reports that June began with three children shot in Chicago over three days. The month ended with five kids shot over a weekend.

The number of children hit by gunfire in Chicago this year is close to the amount the newspaper recorded in 2016 and 2017, when violence reached near-record levels. At least 65 children were shot by July 1st in 2016 and 67 were shot in that time frame last year.

Chicago police confirmed the numbers on earlier this week, noting that the number of overall shootings has slightly declined since last year.

Terry Gage works with the nonprofit Breakthrough, which focuses on poverty on the city’s West Side. Gage says retaliation happens when the weather heats up and residents are outdoors.

Information from: Chicago Tribune & WGEM-TV)