Chicago’s 2021 Homicide Numbers Highest in 25 Years

Data gathered from the Chicago Police Department, other law enforcement agencies, and the Cook County Medical Eaminer’s office reveals that the city reached at least 800 homicides in 2021, one of its deadliest years in at least the last quarter-century, reports the Chicago Tribune.

According to case data from the medical examiner released Monday, that office handled more than 1,000 homicides last year, including 836 in the city of Chicago. It was the first time the office had handled that many homicides since 1994. The CPD reported a total of 797 people killed in the city, a figure not seen since 798 were slain in 1996.

The total count was brought to 800 with the inclusion of people shot and killed in shootings on Chicago expressways, which are under the jurisdiction of the Illinois State Police and, therefore, not initially included in either Chicago body’s reporting.

According to the medical examiner, a two-year snapshot of violence in Chicago shows about a 60 percent increase in homicides, though the one-year increase overall was significantly smaller at 3.2 percent, while CPD statistics show that more than 90 percent were a result of gun violence.