(NewsNation) — A 32-year-old man is now charged in a shooting that killed three people and left another critically injured in Chicago over the weekend.
Chicago’s Police Superintendent David Brown described Samuel Parsons-Salas as a horrific person. Parson-Salas, a convicted felon, was released on parole in September after serving time for a 2009 deadly home invasion. He was charged with murder in that case and served four years after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.
“He is a danger not only to this community but to the city of Chicago at large,” Brown said. “If a process goes forward, bond court, etc., throw away the key. Get this person off our streets.”
Criminals being released back onto the streets is a problem many cities are grappling with across the country.
In Los Angeles County, calls are growing louder to recall District Attorney George Gascon, who continues to focus on rehabilitation instead of incarceration. Former DA Kathy Cady said it’s resulting in many victims feeling revictimized.
“There’s been several, now, murders that could have been completely prevented had he had common-sense policies in place as opposed to the “reforms” that he put in place,” Cady said.
A $25 million claim has now been filed against Gascon by the widow of a California police sergeant who died in a shootout with a convict out on probation for a gun charge.
“Unfortunately, in this situation and in many situations … (t)he law is not being followed by our district attorney and making sure that the California three-strike law is being put into play,” said Janine Paredes, the woman who filed the lawsuit.
On the other side of the country in New York, a man who violently attacked another man on the street was taken into custody and released on $7,500 bail. His attorney told NewsNation, in part, “Karim (Azizi) is a lifelong New Yorker and a father of three. There’s more to this story than what meets the eye.”
“Our criminal justice system is insane,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “It is dangerous, it’s harmful and it’s destroying the fabric of our city.”
In Portland, the city doesn’t have enough public defenders, leading to at least 300 cases being dropped. A resident who was attacked on a bus told NewsNation he is concerned the situation sends the wrong message to offenders.