Chicago's 2013 Murder Rate Outpacing 2012's

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 8, 2013 2:40PM

We aren't even eight days into 2013 and the murder rate is already a news story. NBC Chicago's Ted McClelland noted that, through the first six days of 2013, the city has recorded 12 homicides—an average of two per day. If that rate holds, 2013 could wind up having the highest murder total since 1997.

We can add another murder to that tally, as a 24-year-old man was shot multiple times in East Garfield Park and later died at Mount Sinai Hospital. It was one of eight shootings that happened in Chicago overnight.

McClelland pointed out some consistencies between 2012's murder tally and the early goings of this year: Most of the homicides are happening on Chicago's South and West sides and black Chicagoans are more likely to be murder victims.

Chicago already has twice as many murders as Detroit and is easily outpacing New York City, which didn't record its first homicide until Jan. 3. With the Illinois General Assembly opting not to work on an assault weapons banso that they can focus on pension reform in the lame duck session that ends Wednesday, calls from gun control lobbyists and neighborhood groups for a ban will intensify. The pressure will be on Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy to be even more proactive in quelling the violence. Our balmy weather means we can see more people out and about. With that comes the possibility for more violence.