Chicago gun violence by neighborhood: South, West sides remain most dangerous

Chicago Police Department reports show shootings in 2022 were 32% higher than 2019. Shootings in the Loop tripled during that time.

Shootings in Chicago in 2022 were up by nearly a third compared to 2019, with 868 more Chicagoans suffering as victims of gun violence, even though reported shootings dropped from the 2021 total.

Chicago Police Department annual reports show shootings in 2022 continued to persist above 2019 totals, the last year before COVID-19 pandemic tensions ushered in two of the city’s deadliest years in the last two decades.

Analysis of police data indicates the overall number of shootings increased in 19 of the 22 Chicago police districts reporting data. On average, each district saw 39 more victims of gun violence.

The Central District, which encompasses the Loop, South Loop and Near South Side, recorded the largest percentage increase among any district between 2022 and 2019, with shooting incidents more than tripling and the number of gun violence victims quadrupling.

In 2019, the Loop reported 16 incidents of gun violence compared to 53 in 2022. During the same four-year period, the number of gun violence victims in the area surged from 18 to 74.

The spike was propelled in part by Chicagoans reporting five mass shootings downtown in 2022 involving three or more victims per incident.

The Austin District, including the Austin and South Austin neighborhoods, reported the largest decrease in shootings during the period, with incidents dropping by 22% and 18% fewer residents getting shot last year.

The community still reported 120 shootings in 2022 and 151 victims of gun violence. The Austin District also experienced seven mass shootings.

The Harrison Police District, which includes the Humboldt Park and Garfield Park neighborhoods, reported the most shootings of any district in Chicago during the last five years, recording 353 shootings in 2022 alone.

The community also reported 24 mass shootings last year, the most of any police district in the city, as well as 479 victims of gun violence. For every 1,000 residents, close to seven were a victim of gun violence.

Conversely, the Jefferson Park Police District, which includes the Jefferson Park, Portage Park and Union Ridge neighborhoods, reported just 19 shootings and 24 victims in 2022. That translates to roughly one victim for every 10,000 residents.

Citywide, one in every 1,000 Chicagoans was a victim of gun violence in 2022.

Addressing gun violence in Chicago starts with reducing the CPD officer shortage, providing adequate resources for judges determining whether to release or hold people ahead of trial and ensuring witness protection so police are able to obtain vital information needed to identify and pursue criminal actors.

The longer city leaders wait to take action, the more of Chicago’s most vulnerable residents will pay the price for their indecision