Crime & Law
Chicago Sees Fewest May Homicides in Decades, But Shootings Remain Ahead of Last Year’s Pace
(WTTW News)
Chicago in May saw fewer homicides than it had in any such month over the past two decades, but the number of shootings and shooting victims both ticked upward slightly, according to new police data.
According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 36 homicides throughout last month, two fewer than were recorded during May 2025, a year that ended with a historically low homicide total.
Last month’s total was fewer than any other May in Chicago since 2007, when there were 35 homicides recorded, per CPD data. But the number of shootings (127) and shooting victims (165) in May were up 1% and 4%, respectively over last year.
Last month also included Chicago’s first homicide-free Memorial Day holiday weekend reportedly for the first time in at least a decade, though 36 people were shot over that three-day span.
Through the first five months of 2026, Chicago has recorded 167 homicides, an increase of 6% compared to the same time last year, while shootings (546) and shooting victims (664) totals have similarly risen.
According to CPD figures, the number of robberies (25%), armed robberies (32%) and burglaries (14%) are all down this year compared to last, while violent crime on the CTA train and bus lines is down 20%
Police officers also recovered 1,195 firearms in May, bringing the 2026 total up to 4,291, per CPD data.
WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
