A war of words broke out between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the district attorney on Tuesday after the former called for a federal investigation into a shootout.

Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx's office issued a statement Monday signaling there would not be any charges pressed after five people were arrested after the shootout on Friday that left one person dead in a North Austin neighborhood. Five people of interest were taken into custody and were later released.

Lightfoot said she met Monday with members of the West Side aldermanic caucus who signed letters requesting the state's attorney to reconsider the decision. She called it a "complicated" scenario but urged Foxx to "look at the evidence" and see whether charges can be "brought at a minimum" against individuals who initiated the gunfire, according to CBS affiliate WBBM-TV.

However, Foxx said of Lightfoot's comments: “I was quite honestly mortified by what happened yesterday, particularly because the mayor, as a former prosecutor, knows that what she did yesterday was inappropriate."

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The Chicago mayor repeated her calls on Tuesday for Foxx's office to reconsider the decision to reject charges in the case.

“I’d like her to explain because I can’t explain it,” the mayor said. “We have to understand how it’s possible, when this kind of shootout is captured on film, that there were no charges of any person, even though people were brought into custody and arrested.”

Lightfoot added that she will meet with Foxx to discuss the case but said she intends to ask the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago to look into the possibility of filing federal charges.

Foxx rebuffed against the mayor, arguing: “We can’t just try cases on videos. We need witnesses to come forward."

Lightfoot, a former prosecutor, contended: "There are circumstances when you absolutely need to have a witness to identify who did something ... This entire episode was captured on videotape; multiple videotapes."

She added: “So I just want to understand ... how it’s possible that not a single charge — not a gun charge, not an attempted murder charge, disturbing a peace — but something to send a message that there’s going to be accountability when people open up and fire into a residence in broad daylight in our city. Something must be done."

Foxx said Tuesday that the investigation has been stifled by alleged witnesses at the scene who refuse "to stand under oath and testify," hurdles she said needed to be cleared before charges can be issued in the case.

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The Washington Examiner contacted Lightfoot and Foxx's office but did not immediately receive a response.

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Tags: News, Chicago, Illinois, Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, Police, District Attorney

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: War of words breaks out between Chicago mayor and district attorney over shootout