Shootings, Murders Rise In Chicago In February
Shootings, Murders Rise In Chicago In February
By Kelly Bauer | March 1, 2017 9:03am @bauerjournalism
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The violence last month was slightly worse than it was in February 2016.View Full CaptionDNAinfo/Erica Demarest
CHICAGO — Shootings and murders in Chicago slightly rose in February.
The violence last month was slightly worse than it was in February 2016 — but there were significantly more shootings and murders than in years past.
About 167 shootings wounded 164 people and killed 42 last month, according to a DNAinfo analysis. In all, there have been 48 murders in the city.
In February 2016, 163 shootings wounded 153 people and killed about 33, according to a DNAinfo analysis. There were 46 total murders in February 2016 — less than Chicago saw last month, even though February 2016 was longer because it had a leap day.
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Police are trying to combat the violence by expanding their use of technology that prevents violence and helps solve crimes. On Feb. 21, police announced they would bring crime cameras, new cellphone technology, Strategic Decision Support Centers and ShotSpotter systems that listen for gunshots to the Deering and Austin districts on the South and West sides.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has also pushed for investment in mentoring programs for Chicago kids. Activists and experts have said communities of color have faced disinvestment or hardships that have led to more shootings. Violence-plagued neighborhoods need investment, they've said, and residents need access to mental health resources to stop the shootings.
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The violence in Chicago has come under the national spotlight as President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the city and likened it to a war zone. Earlier this year, he threatened to "send in the Feds!"
Trump's attorney general, Jeff Sessions, has said he will "pull back" on investigations of police departments even though a U.S. Justice Department probe of the Chicago Police Department found a lack of police accountability in the city leads to a "deadly cycle" of violence.
Here's a look at some of the violence from last month:
• On Feb. 23, 5-month-old A'Miracle Jones died. A'Miracle was born prematurely after her mother was fatally shot in September. The baby's death has been ruled a homicide.
• On Feb. 14, 2-year-old Lavontay White and Jr. and his uncle were shot to death.
• On Feb. 11, 12-year-old Kanari Gentry Bowers and 11-year-old Takiya Holmes were shot in separate incidents. The girls later died of their wounds.
• On Feb. 9, Alvin Stoll, 17, was shot dead in Jefferson Park. It was the first shooting in the neighborhood since October 2015.
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