CHICAGO — After the fatal shooting of U.S. Rep. Danny Davis' 15-year-old grandson Friday, Newt Gingrich said Chicago and Illinois have "failed" to protect citizens and called for federal intervention in the city.
Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a current advisor to Donald Trump, tweeted Saturday that Chicago needs "U.S. action" to stem growing gun violence in the city.
His comments come less than a day after Davis' grandson was killed by two teenagers over gym shoes, according to police. The shooting serves as a reminder that the federal government needs a plan to "save lives," he said.
The murder of Congressman Danny Davis' 15 year old grandson in a Chicago home invasion is reminder we need a federal strategy to save lives
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 19, 2016
Chicago so far has 3926 shot, 703 homicides this year with 6 weeks to go. Worse than Ferguson,etc. We must have federal plan to save lives
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 19, 2016
Chicagoans are Americans. Their civil rights matter.being killed ends your civil rights. City has failed. State has failed. Need US action
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 19, 2016
Saturday is not the first time Gingrich has opined on Chicago's violence epidemic. He previously called the city the "murder capital of U.S." and defended Trump's controversial remarks about shootings in Chicago.
Trump is right to draw attention to the killings in Chicago. 3579 Americans killed in Chicago since Obama inaugural. Trump will change it
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) August 30, 2016
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi responded to Gingrich's comments Saturday by refuting his claims on the shooting death of Davis' grandson.
.@newtgingrich not a home invasion but a dispute among teens over gym shoes that ended in senseless shooting. We hv person of interest ID'd
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2016
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