Chicago homicides increase 50 percent in 2020, 139 percent in July alone

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Chicago saw a dramatic increase in homicides and shootings in the first seven months of 2020 and a particularly remarkable increase in July, reflecting a growing trend in the U.S. that raised questions about potential police reform in major cities.


Data released on Saturday showed that Chicago saw 440 homicides between January 2020 through the end of June, a 52 percent increase from the same time period last year (which saw 290 homicides). Shooting victims similarly increased by 51 percent (1,480 to 2,240) and shooting incidents themselves rose 47 percent (from 1,210 to 1,783).

Crime tends to increase during summers, but recent events have fueled unrest in the U.S. The troubling figures came as Chicago and other cities saw dramatic increases in violent crime amid protests surrounding George Floyd's death. Kansas City, for example, is expected to see "close to 700 people" shot by the end of the year, its police chief previously told Fox News.

A host of other cities -- Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle -- also saw spikes in shootings and murders, according to public data. “I think it’s just a perfect storm of distress in America," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in July.

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