Murders in Cook County, Illinois -the area including Chicago and surrounding suburbs- topped 1,000 in 2021, the highest on record since 1994.
“With 1,009 recorded homicides to date, 2021 is on-pace to be among the worst years for homicides in Cook County history,” reports Fox Chicago.
“I’ve never seen 1,000 homicides for the whole 17 years I’ve been in this office,” said Ponni Arunkuma, Cook County’s Chief Medical Examiner.
“Our numbers are always more than both New York and Los Angeles put together, and to see that number increase even more is concerning,” Arunkuma said.
Sad and sobering homicide numbers for Cook County this year: 1009 and counting (777 in Chicago).
The last time they were more than 1000 in a year was 1994 when there were 1141. In 1991 the medical examiner’s office handled a record 1229 homicides. @ABC7Chicago pic.twitter.com/GnfMu8gQk3— Craig Wall ABC 7 (@craigrwall) November 30, 2021
“Everybody was all-in, in Illinois, to deal with COVID, but when it comes to the violence, all of the sudden it’s not even being spoken about, hardly,” added Father Michael Pfleger.
The victims include 156 children or teenagers, 96% are either African American or Hispanic. The homicide rate is up 40% compared to 2019.
“If I had an African American or Hispanic son right now — nine,10, 11-years old — I would get him out of the city. If I couldn’t afford to move, I would send him somewhere. It’s a killing field out here,” Pfleger said.
Read the full report here.
CHICAGO SPIRALS: 100 People Arrested, 13 Police Injured as Looters Target Windy City’s Tourism District
More than 100 people were arrested overnight Monday and at least 13 officers were injured as hundreds of looters targeted shops in Chicago’s downtown tourism district.
“This was straight up, felony criminal conduct,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “This was an assault on our city.”
“Those arrested were expected to face charges including looting, disorderly conduct, battery against police. Lightfoot said that the city has activated a neighborhood protection program,” reports the Associated Press. “The unrest began shortly after midnight and anti-police graffiti was seen in the area of the Magnificent Mile, which is one of Chicago’s most-visited tourist attractions. Hours earlier, dozens of people had faced off with police after officers shot and wounded a person Sunday in the Englewood neighborhood, located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away.”
Bridges raised in Chicago to prevent downtown access after widespread looting breaks out https://t.co/g8x1YPpW4G pic.twitter.com/lLeVPubknE
— The Hill (@thehill) August 10, 2020
🚨 “LOOTING AND CHAOS” 🚨
Do you feel safer with radical Democrats are in charge? https://t.co/W7XcGw3dRM— Marc Lotter (@marc_lotter) August 10, 2020
Read the full report here.
CHICAGO SPIRALS: 13 People Shot, 3 Murdered Within 24 Hours in the Windy City
The plague of gun violence sweeping Chicago sadly continued this week when 13 people were shot and three murdered within a 24 hour period in the nation’s third largest city.
“Thirteen people were shot, three of them fatally, Wednesday in Chicago. One woman was killed and another was wounded in South Shore in the day’s latest fatal attack. About 8:50 p.m., they were in the 7800 block of South Cornell Avenue when they heard shots and felt pain, Chicago police said,” reports the Chicago Sun Times.
A day earlier, 15 people were shot and 2 killed.
“A 28-year-old was struck in the head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died, police said. The other woman, 35, was shot in the foot and refused medical treatment, police said,” adds the newspaper. “Wednesday afternoon, a man was killed in Lawndale on the West Side.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot routinely blames her city’s gun violence on neighboring states and the Trump administration; claiming the President has “no interest” in protecting Chicago residents.
Read the full report here.