Report: Murders in Chicago down, shootings up
Chicago could report its lowest murder total in close to 50 years for the second consecutive year.
Despite murder rates being down, the number of shootings is up for 2014, according to data analysed by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago Police reported 390 murders through Dec. 20, while the Cook County medical examiner’s office reported 410 homicides, including 16 fatal police shootings, during the same period. There have been at least 10 additional homicides and one fatal police shooting since then.
Police, which follow federal guidelines when counting murders, determined some of the homicides were self-defense or accidents.
The numbers represent a 2 to 4 percent decrease in killings from 2013, and a 19 to 20 percent decrease from the unusually high 2012, when there were 504 murders. It would be fewest killings in any year since the 397 slayings in 1965.
Read more at Chicago Sun-Times
The citywide murder total mirrored that of last year’s, but some communities in Chicago saw higher rates.
Humboldt Park, located on the city’s Northwest Side, saw 25 killing through Thursday, 12 more than last year’s total of 13.
The number is the largest increase in the city.
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