With 11 dead and 70 wounded, who is to blame for Chicago’s weekend of gun carnage?

At least 11 people were shot dead and another 70 wounded in a weekend burst of violence in Chicago that instantly became a political issue when US President Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, blamed the carnage on long-time Democratic rule in the city.

Police on Monday attributed the dozens of shootings to gangs, the illegal flow of guns and sweltering August heat that drew more people outside.

The victims ranged in age from 11 to 63, according to police. One teenage girl died after being shot in the face. A teenage boy was fatally shot riding a bike Sunday afternoon. Other shootings took place at a block party and a funeral.

Even for Chicagoans all too accustomed to violence in parts of the city, the weekend stood out. By way of comparison, at least seven people were killed and 32 wounded during the long Memorial Day weekend, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“Our souls are burdened,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “It is unacceptable to happen in any neighbourhood of Chicago. We are a better city.”

Echoing comments that Trump himself has made repeatedly about Chicago, Giuliani blamed Emanuel – Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff – and decades of “one party Democratic rule” in a series of tweets on Sunday and Monday.