What happened in Chicago? 50 Cent calls for end to gun violence after fatal shootings leave six dead

On May 6, rapper 50 Cent took to social media to call for an end to the rising gun violence in Chicago that reportedly left six people dead and 31 injured in several separate shootouts throughout the city over the past weekend. 50 Cent posted a screenshot of a police report with the headline,

“At least 31 people have been shot, six fatally, in gun violence across Chicago so far this weekend, police said.”

The post was captioned:

“Come on now, this gotta stop, this ain’t gangster, this is just crazy.”

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Chicago saw an uptick in gun violence over the weekend

According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Chicago's gun violence reached staggering heights as six people were killed in unrelated shootouts over the weekend. The police revealed that over 31 people were shot at on May 4 and May 5.

On Sunday, a 51-year-old man was reportedly shot in the legs and chest in the 6800 block of South Prairie Avenue at around 3:13. He was moved to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died.

Meanwhile, in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, a man, aged 37, and a woman, aged 36, were reportedly shot in the leg by an unknown assailant in Addison Street. The suspect allegedly drove off in a dark-colored SUV after the attack. The couple were taken to the hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

A few hours later, two more people were shot on Chicago's West End in a completely unrelated incident. The shooting occurred at 4:12 am in the Austin neighborhood. The duo, a man and a woman, were reportedly getting into a car when the attack happened. The man is reportedly in critical condition after having been shot in the face.

The morning of that same day, a man was found shot dead in his driver's seat in West Englewood at around 3:21 am. On Saturday, another man, aged 49, was shot in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

On Friday, a 45-year-old liquor store employee was reportedly injured during an armed robbery at Humboldt Deli and Liquors in Chicago at around 10:27 pm. He was shot in the left arm and was taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment.

In most cases, the suspects are yet to be arrested. The police also confirmed that at least 13 people were shot in Chicago the previous weekend.

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50 Cent was shot nine times in 2000

Rapper 50 Cent was the victim of a shooting at the start of his music career. Thus, fans believe it stands to reason that the rapper is passionate about ending gun violence.

According to LadBible, 50 Cent was shot nine times all over his body, including his legs, hands, arms, face and chest outside his grandmother's house in Queens on May 24, 2000, when he was 25 years old. Recalling the incident when he returned to the scene of the crime for Oprah's Next Chapter in 2021, he said:

"I came out like twelve-o-clock in the afternoon on May 24th. She [his grandmother] was bent over planting flowers in the garden and I walked over here to get in the vehicle where my friend was waiting for me and a car pulled up on the side of us and a guy came out of the passenger seat of that car, came round behind it, and shot through the actual car."

According to Billboard, he was shot by Darryl Baum under orders from "crack kingpin" Kenneth McGriff, allegedly as retribution for the rapper writing a song detailing the kingpin's criminal past.

Speaking to Oprah Winfrey about the shooting, 50 Cent claimed that the actual shooting didn't hurt as much, but the pain increased as the adrenaline left his body. He also revealed that the incident left him feeling shaken and afraid, which soon turned to aggression and anger.

The rapper sustained several injuries and broke both his legs in several places. He was hospitalized for 13 days following the shootout.