The University of Chicago’s Crime Lab released its report Gun Violence in Chicago 2016. The researchers delved into data provided by the Windy City’s PD, winkling out actionable stats. Turns out both shooters and shootees were known to the police. Who saw that one coming? And the survey SAID . . .
Around 80 percent of Chicago’s homicide victims in 2015 and 2016 had at least one prior arrest, almost 40 percent had a prior violent crime arrest, and almost 30 percent had a prior gun arrest.
Nearly 40 percent of victims had more than 10 prior arrests, while the share with more than 20 prior arrests rose from 14 to 18 percent in 2016.
The share of victims with a current or prior gang affiliation as recorded by CPD was about the same in both years (53 and 54 percent).
And now the shooters . . .
Individuals arrested for a homicide or shooting in Chicago in 2016 and 2015 had similar prior criminal records: around 90 percent had at least one prior arrest, approximately 50 percent had a prior arrest for a violent crime specifically, and almost 40 percent had a prior gun arrest.
The average person arrested for a homicide or shooting in both years had nearly 12 prior arrests, with almost 45 percent having had more than 10 prior arrests, and almost 20 percent having had more than 20 prior arrests.
Why is anyone in Chicago (or elsewhere) talking about gun control? Clearly, Chicago’s revolving door justice system is a failure that allows dangerous killers to roam the city streets.