The Cook County Medical Examiner's office today confirmed the 12 deaths. Police say the spate of gunfire injured dozens more, including a 4-year-old girl who was shot in the head at about 8 p.M. Friday on the city's South Side.
Chicago has seen similar spikes of violence on previous Memorial Day weekends. It is also the start of a season when the numbers of homicides typically climb. Police have in recent years responded by flooding the streets with officers working overtime to combat the violence.