Chicago is so dangerous its progressive mayor has launched a new program to pay murder victims’ families $1,500 towards funeral costs

Chicago has suffered so many homicides due to gun violence that the city is now offering to pay out $1,500 in funeral expenses to help relatives.

The money will be paid out as part of the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund and will provide families with finances to help bury their loved ones.

Shooting victims can also receive $1,000 to cover basic needs such as their medical bills and groceries, as well as up to $1,000 for temporary moving expenses.

The program already exists in the city after being introduced in five communities in 2022, but is now being expanded to a further 15 across the city.

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the plans, saying the move was a step in the right direction and could help alleviate the problem of gun violence. Critics say the fund’s creation is a troubling sign of what the Windy City has become.

Johnson said:This crisis did not just happen with a bullet. This crisis came to light when previous governments decided to abandon these communities.

“The program provides much-needed resources to promote healing in our communities and among the families affected by violence, providing a lifeline that will lead us to a safer city.”

Kevin Edwards, who survived a non-fatal gunshot wound, received $1,000 in support after the shooting in the West Garfield Park area last summer.

He told ABC7: ‘It was horrible. I couldn’t do anything else. I thought I was done. I thought I was going to die.’

Edwards used the money to pay his medical bills, adding: “It can stop. I believe what he said. Hopefully everyone can participate and it can decrease.”

The mayor’s announcement comes after a violent week in the city, with 71 people shot and nine killed from Friday to Monday.

About 20 people were shot from midnight Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday morning.

The 22nd Ward alderman said, “Seventy people being shot is seventy too many. The fact is that we have work to do. While we are making progress, we still have so much more to do.”

The latest statistics released by the Chicago Police Department earlier this week show that there have been 961 shooting incidents so far this year.

On Tuesday evening, seven-year-old Jai’mani Amir Rivera was shot and killed on the city’s Near West Side in what police described as “random gunfire.”

Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling told reporters that Rivera was walking out of his home when shots rang out.

Snelling said, “This child walked out of their home and was struck by gunfire.”

Rivera received assistance from officers who arrived on the scene and was rushed to the hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

Snelling added, “We are losing our children and we really need to think about the gun violence that is happening in this city.

“We must all do our part to fight this gun violence and save our children.”

Rivera wasn’t the first seven-year-old to die as a result of the city’s gun violence.

In 2020, Natalia Wallace was murdered outside a Fourth of July party at her grandmother’s home while she played on the sidewalk with other children.

Officers said three men jumped from a white vehicle and opened fire on partygoers before driving away.

Wallace was shot in the forehead and was later pronounced dead in hospital, with her family describing her as a “funny and outspoken girl.”

Kevin Boyd, along with Terrell Boyd and Davion Mitchell, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death. It is unclear at what stage their case has reached.

After Rivera’s death, Mayor Johnson joined Snelling in reiterating his sentiment that gun violence had reached a breaking point in the city.

Johnson said: “The grief in this city has become increasingly unbearable. The wicked behavior and violence that has plagued our city for so long has reached a breaking point.

“This is no longer simply about tragedy, but about the course-correcting lifestyles of some individuals in this city who have caused terror, trauma and torment. We will hold individuals accountable.”

In April of this year, an eight-year-old child was killed in a mass shooting on the city’s South Side, which left 10 others injured.

Police said a family had gathered for a birthday party when gunmen opened fire with assault rifles and handguns.

A nine-year-old boy was also injured with an abrasion to his finger. He was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition, police said.

Announcing the new measure for victims and their families, the city said it will reinvest $10 million over the next three years to cover costs.