Crime & Law
Chicago Sees Lowest Homicide Total For Any July in Decades
A Chicago Police Department vehicle is parked on Clark Street near Daley Plaza on June 15, 2026. (Victor Hilitski / WTTW News)
Chicago last month recorded its fewest homicides for any single July in more than a half century, according to new data from the Chicago Police Department.
There were 37 homicides in the city last month, the lowest total for any such month dating back to at least 1970. That total is down 18% compared to July 2025 — a year that ended with Chicago’s lowest homicide total in 60 years — and is less than half the totals of July 2020 and 2021, which each saw more than 100 killings.
Over the past decade prior to 2026, Chicago has averaged more than 71 homicides in July, per CPD data.
Through the first seven months of the year, Chicago is still pacing ahead of last year’s historically low violence total, with 250 homicides in 2026 compared to 244 at the same time last year.
The 153 shootings recorded in the city last month are also down 15% compared to July 2025, and the total number of shootings seen in Chicago thus far in 2026 (840) is now fewer than at the same time last year (842).
The number of shooting victims (1,055 in 2026) remains ahead of last year’s pace (1,039 through July 2025).
According to CPD data, robberies are down 26% year-to-date and total violent crime is down 9%.
Violent crime along the CTA’s bus and train lines was also down 40% in July compared to the same month in 2025 and is down 30% year-to-date, according to the department.
WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
