CHICAGO — Chicago mayoral candidate Garry McCarthy criticized fellow candidate Toni Preckwinkle Friday.

Preckwinkle made reducing the jail population one of her priorities as cook county board president…

McCarthy called her politics “manipulative” and blamed her for violence in Chicago.

In a written statement McCarthy said, “It is difficult to identify a person more accountable for the wholesale slaughter of African Americans in this city than Toni Preckwinkle.”

The statement comes the day after Preckwinkle  entered the race, aiming to be the first black woman to serve as Chicago mayor.

McCarthy also targeted her record as Cook County Board President in the statement which read, “It’s a misaligned political agenda that is not reflective reality in the criminal justice world.”

Preckwinkle supporter alderman Roderick Sawyer called  McCarthy’s comments ”disrespectful.”

“Don’t place blame for someone who is doing her job and doing her job quite well advocating for criminal justice reform, reducing jail population,” Sawyer said.   “For him to say she’s singularly responsible for the deaths irresponsible, uncalled for and unprofessional for someone who’s running for mayor of Chicago.”

Preckwinkle’s campaign would not comment on McCarthy’s statement.