Crime & Law
Shootings, Homicides in Chicago Remain Slightly Above Last Year’s Historically Low Pace
A Chicago Police Department vehicle is parked on Clark Street near Daley Plaza on June 15, 2026. (Victor Hilitski / WTTW News)
More than 200 people have been killed in Chicago through the first six months of 2026, an uptick over last year’s historic reduction in violence, but still well below the pace of other recent years.
According to Chicago Police Department data, there were 210 homicides recorded through the end of June, an increase of nearly 6% compared to the first six months of 2025 — a year that ended with Chicago’s lowest homicide total in 60 years.
This year’s homicide total also marks the second-fewest in the city through the first six months of any year since 2015.
The number of shootings in Chicago has also risen in 2026. City data shows there have been 686 shootings this year, an increase of 4% year-over-year, and a total of 858 shooting victims.
In June alone, there were 139 shootings and 43 homicides in Chicago, according to CPD data.
The number of robberies and armed robberies reported this year are down 27% and 32%, respectively, while carjackings are down 25% and burglaries are down 12%, the CPD data shows.
Violent crime on the CTA’s train and bus lines is down 28% this year compared to last, according to the CPD, while property crime is down 32%.
Chicago police officers have also recovered 5,149 firearms since the start of the year, including 857 in June.
WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
