CHICAGO -- The fatal shooting of NBA star Dwyane Wades cousin in Chicago is part of a sharp uptick in gun violence in the nations third-largest city this year. Among the other innocent people caught in crossfire have been young children playing outside and a father paying bills at his kitchen table.Wades cousin, Nykea Aldridge, who was shot Friday while pushing her baby in a stroller near a school, was one of nearly 20 people shot between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, police said. Three others were killed.Heres a look at whats happening in Chicago:---HOMICIDES UPThere were 441 homicides in the city between the start of the year and Aug. 21, a nearly 50 percent increase over the same period last year, police said. Thats also more than 80 percent higher than at the same point in 2014, when the city ended the year with just over 400 homicides -- the least in a half-century.Other cities, such as Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, also have seen homicides rise, according to a midyear survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. But experts say it isnt enough to suggest a trend, noting numbers are down elsewhere, such as Oakland, California, and Miami.---SHOOTINGS SOARMuch of the increase in Chicago homicides is related to more shootings, which have been climbing since 2013 but have spiked this year to 2,228 as of Aug. 21.Thats 48 percent more than in the same timeframe last year, and easily surpasses the total recorded in all of 2014, when there were 2,084.---BUT WHY?There isnt a clear cause.Chicago police and Mayor Rahm Emanuel frequently point to gang violence and the easy availability of guns. The city once had some of the nations strictest gun-control laws, but many are no longer on the books. Last year, the police department said it confiscated nearly 7,000 illegal guns.Others point to a loss of trust between police and the community, a long-standing problem that grew worse after Chicago police released a squad-car video in November that showed a white police officer fatally shooting a black teenager 16 times. The video of Laquan McDonalds death set off weeks of protests.Many of the neighborhoods on the citys South and West sides where the violence is concentrated struggle with gang membership and high unemployment and poverty rates.---INNOCENT BYSTANDERSPolice said Aldridge, a 32-year-old mother of four, was going to register her kids for school Friday when two men walked up and shot at a third man, hitting her in the head and arm.She is among the many innocent people who have been hit by stray gunfire, including a growing number of young children.In the first six months of the year, 15 children younger than 10 were shot, none fatally. Thats seven more than in the first half of 2015.The victims included a 6-year-old girl who was drawing with sidewalk chalk when she was shot in the back with a bullet intended for rival gang members. A bullet pierced the cheek of a 4-year-old boy as walked down a sidewalk, holding his mothers hand.Wade, a native of Chicagos south suburbs who signed with the Chicago Bulls in July, bemoaned whats happening in some neighborhoods, saying The city of Chicago is hurting. Chauncey Billups Pistons Jersey . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Caron Butler Pistons Jersey . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. https://www.pistonsrookiesshop.com/Sviatoslav-Mykhailiuk-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Stanley Johnson Jersey . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Thon Maker Jersey .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. BOSTON -- Eric Dungey threw three touchdown passes, Ervin Phillips had a pair of scores and Syracuse beat Boston College 28-20 on Saturday, sending the Eagles to their 12th straight Atlantic Coast Conference loss.Dungey went 32 for 38 for 434 yards. He also ran 17 times for 54 yards for the Orange (4-4, 2-2 ACC).Hes getting better with that stuff all the time, Syracuse coach Dino Babers said of his QB. Hes come a long way since we first saw him.Last week, he became the first player in school history to throw for over 300 yards and rush for over 100 in an upset victory over then-No. 17 Virginia Tech.In the opening quarter, a brief fight broke out on the Syracuse sideline between Dungey and a couple of Boston College players after an interception by BCs William Harris.Dungey threw Harris to the ground and pushed BC linebacker Matt Milano into an equipment container near the stands after he stepped over the QB.Players from both teams -- with a few from BC running across the field -- got involved in the shoving. A Syracuse staff member threw Harris to the ground before the officials and coaches got things under control.I was trying to finish the tackle. I get tackled all the time, Dungey said. Some guys standing over me talking smack. I just tried to get him off of me. One thing led to another.Patrick Towles went 4 of 14 for 45 yards for Boston College (3-4, 0-4) but did run 75 yards for a touchdown. He was taken out of the game early in the fourth quarter and appeared to be favoring his right leg with a hamstring injury.We were better today, BC coach Steve AAddazio said.dddddddddddd The consistency in our throw game was just not there.Back-up Darius Wade drove the Eagles deep into Syracuse territory, but was sacked and then threw incomplete on fourth-and-14 with just under 2 minutes left.The Orange went 86 yards for a score to make it 21-10 after an interception by linebacker Parris Bennett inside their own 5.Receiver Steve Ishmael made an 11-yard TD catch along the side of the end zone, making a leaping grab and getting one foot to touch before he was knocked out of bounds.One play later, Towles broke around left end and went down the sideline for his score on the final play of the third quarter. Mike Knolls second field goal -- a 39-yarder -- cut it to 21-20.Dungeys third TD toss -- a 68-yarder to Amba Etta-Tawo -- made it 28-20.Boston Colleges Myles Willis had an 89-yard kickoff return for a TD.THE TAKEAWAYSYRACUSE: The Orange didnt play smooth offensively, collecting a handful of false start penalties and turning the ball over three times, but they go into a bye week with a pair of key victories.BOSTON COLLEGE: The Eagles cant make key plays when the games close. They were driving for a possible go-ahead score late in the third when wide-open receiver Michael Walker bobbled a pass -- with the ball flying into the air and into the hands of linebacker Bennett.UP NEXTSYRACUSE: Travels to No. 4 Clemson on Nov. 5.BOSTON COLLEGE: Faces North Carolina State on the road next Saturday. ' ' '