View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.
U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) weighed in on the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin Wednesday, and said he hopes those outraged about the unarmed black teenager's death will pay attention to "black on black" crime happening in Chicago as well.
Walsh made the comments after his colleague Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) was thrown off the House floor for wearing a hoodie and sunglasses to protest Martin's death.
Walsh, a member of the Tea Party who is far to the right of his Democratic colleague, agreed that the Martin case was "tragic," but told NBC everyone needs to "take a breath" and wait for an investigation into the Florida slaying to be completed.
(Watch Walsh's comments above)
"Congressman Rush was trying to make a point, and that's fine," Walsh said. "It's tragic, a young life was lost ... but let's not persecute George Zimmerman yet until we know the facts."
On Wednesday, Rush told members of the House that "just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum," and began citing Bible passages. He was ultimately escorted off the House floor for violating chamber rules -- which bans the "wearing of hats."
After briefly addressing the Martin issue, Walsh brought up something closer to home for both him and Rush: Chicago violence.
The city has been plagued by violence in recent weeks, with 10 people killed and at least 40 shot the weekend of March 17 and 18 alone -- including 6-year-old Aliyah Shell. The city recently reached the 100-homicide mark for 2012. Chicago had not reached 100 homicides in March since 2004.
"I hope Congressman Rush will be as outraged with all of the black on black crime going on in the city of Chicago weekend after weekend," Walsh said. "This is where our outrage has got to be as well."