In what has become an all-too familiar story, more blood was spilled on the streets of Chicago over the weekend after a barrage of shootings claimed nearly 50 victims, two of whom succumbed to their injuries, according to the latest available data. The Chicago Tribune reports that felonious shootings were already up 22% compared to 2014 before this latest episode: “Through May 10, there were 627 shooting incidents, up from 516 for the same year-earlier period, the police department said. Last year saw shooting incidents rise to 2,084, up nearly 12 percent from 1,866 in 2013.” In all, 49 residents were shot between Friday afternoon and Monday morning, and at least one of the victims was a 14-year-old. Even more sadly, the escalation in violence is not confined to Chicago. According to The Baltimore Sun, four more people also were murdered in Freddie Gray’s hometown over the weekend. All told, “At least 87 people have been killed in Baltimore this year, 22 more than at this time last year,” the Sun reported. “Nonfatal shootings are up nearly 50 percent across the city.” Both of these cities, and other megalopolises for that matter, have two identical themes: tight gun control laws, and deep-rooted poverty. But as we’ve seen over and over again, no number of laws on the books will alleviate the broader symptoms that culminate in lethal urban mayhem.