Chicago Has Most Violent Month in 20 Years
More than 400 people shot so far and the month isn't even over.
8.30.2016
12
Chicago has already had the most violent month in 20 years and the month isn't even over. More than 400 people have been shot and the city has racked up more than 78 homicides.
Back in October of 1997 there were 79 homicides.
Chicago has recorded 487 homicides and more than 2,800 people shot so far this year, compared to 491 homicides and 2,988 people shot all of last year, according to Tribune data.Chicago has a lower homicide rate than many other U.S. cities that are smaller in population. But this year, the city has recorded more homicides and shooting victims than New York City and Los Angeles combined, even though the two cities are larger than Chicago's population of roughly 2.6 million.
New York, with a population three times that of Chicago, has tallied 760 shooting victims and 222 homicides as of last week, according to the New York City data. Los Angeles has recorded 176 murders and 729 people shot.
Most of the gun violence is concentrated on the west and south side areas of the city.
Chicago police officials have cited the constant flow of illegal firearms through dangerous neighborhoods and an intractable gang problem – with some disputes beginning on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter – as strong contributors to the city's violence.In recent months, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has been pushing lawmakers in Springfield to pass legislation requiring harsher sentences for criminals arrested repeatedly for carrying illegal guns.
The spike in violence isn't just a Chicago problem. more than 40 cities in the U.S. have seen a spike in gun violence after years of a downward trend.
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