The Chicago Police Department reports that 441 people were shot in Chicago in the month of July alone—65 of them fatally.
Chicago’s ABC7 News reports it was the deadliest July in at least five years. Though July murders are down from June (72), they’re up significantly from July of last year (53).
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called for legislation to keep repeat gun offenders in jail. Most of the violence is coming from two or three police districts, and 85 percent of the victims were on the CPD Strategic Subjects list. Overall, 2,394 people have been shot in Chicago this year; 381 have died. CPD categorizes 80 percent of these shootings as “gang-related.”
The CPD recovers more guns per capita than any other U.S. police department—it’s seized 5,000 guns so far this year. This stat points to the futility of gun control when it comes to crime, a fact alluded to by Johnson when he said, “Until we hold repeat offenders accountable, we’re going to continue to see this violence.”
