Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says that when it comes to curbing the city's violence, authorities are just "treading water."

He made the comments Saturday during a news conference about a crackdown on the drug trade.

The city has seen a spike in shootings during recent weekends. Since Friday at least seven people have been killed and dozens wounded.

McCarthy says police aren't winning or losing the battle against violence. They're just treading water. He says many of the shootings are retaliatory and happening quicker than police can stop them.

On Saturday two men wearing masks opened fire on the city's South Side.

Two people died and another was hospitalized in serious condition. The Cook County medical examiner says a 20-year-old and 18-year-old were pronounced dead.