Chicago Has Already Seen 300 Homicides So Far This Year

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 20, 2016 9:27PM

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Chicago reached an ignominious milestone last weekend as the city tallied its 300th homicide this year. That figure represents a significant rise over last year's numbers, which saw 220 homicides through the end of June. Homicides have been on the rise in the city since 2014, according to New York Times analysis, but this year saw a drastic 62 percent spike.

The bulk of the homicides are the result of gun violence. There have been roughly 1800 shooting victims throughout the city so far in 2016, more than 200 of which resulted in fatalities, according to Tribune statistics.

Strict local regulations prevent gun retailers from operating within the city, but firearms still pour into the city due in part to lax laws in surrounding areas—especially Indiana, where private sales do not require background checks, according to another New York Times study.

Some of the violent-crime news this year has been particularly enervating, including a massacre in Gage Park that left six dead and the targeted killing of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee. Another child, 3-year-old Devon Quinn, was shot Sunday and hospitalized in critical condition.