While the state has developed programs and enforced laws in an attempt to reduce violence, Illinois, and specifically the city of Chicago, is still experiencing a large number of weapons crimes. The University of Chicago Crime Lab created a study to determine just how common these incidents are.
In examining police reports, researchers noticed some trends. State and city officials had been working to reduce violence and had been progressing toward more peace for 20 years, but starting in January of 2016, the number of shootings and murders increased dramatically. Gun crimes continued to remain high for the rest of the year and resulted in an increase of 43 percent more non-fatal shootings and a spike in homicide rates of 58 percent between the years 2015 and 2016.
Police reported that altercations were most often the cause of these gun crimes, but that more were occurring in public places and involving guns. One factor that showed a definite decrease was the number of incidents that police suspected were due to gang violence. There was also a disproportionately large number of adolescents involved in weapons crimes in Chicago when compared to other cities, although the majority of homicide suspects were over the age of 20.
In total, 764 people were killed in the city of Chicago during 2016. This increase marks a slow in progress away from gun violence, but the reason for the spike is currently unknown. This information is meant for your enlightenment and education and should not be taken as legal advice.