Chicago shootings, murders increased by 50% in 2020; Cook County Breaks Records for Total Deaths From Gun Violence, Opioids, COVID-19, Medical Examiner Says

CHICAGO (WLS) – 2020 has been a very deadly year in Cook County.

As the pandemic has taken its toll, COVID-19 is also accused of contributing to a record number of deaths from gun violence.

At 18, Nasee Minniefield just graduated from high school and had his whole life ahead of him, until he was shot on Halloween.

“I really haven’t been right since then,” said Nasee’s grandmother Donna Minniefield. “I’m numb, I’m sad, I’m in pain.”

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Minniefield was one of 875 people who died from gun violence last year; 78% of the victims were black.

“This is by far the highest total of gun-related homicides we have ever had. The only time we came close to this was in 1994, when we had 838 gun-related homicides. gun violence, ”said Natalia Derevyanny, spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“I see so much of it on TV and have watched so many innocent children – children are being killed and I never dreamed of a day in my life that I would feel the pain they feel,” said Minniefield.

Deaths from gun violence were not the only record of the year. Cook County also recorded a total of 16,049 deaths in 2020, which was also a record.

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These numbers were increased by the 8,192 lives lost due to deaths from COVID-19 infection.

Pandemic stress is also seen as a contributing factor to the number of homicides during this unprecedented year.

Chicago Police also released the final crime count for 2020 on Friday, which showed shootings and murders increased by more than 50% in 2020.

In 2020, there were 769 murders, a considerable increase from the 495 murders recorded in 2019.

When it comes to shootings, the city recorded 3,261 last year, a big jump from 2,140 shootings in 2019. The number of gunshot fatalities rose to 4,033 in 2020, from 2,598 in 2019.

This illustrates a skyrocketing year for violence after three years of progress in which many innocent children were killed and some police officers also became targets of gunfire.

Almost a quarter of the murders took place on the West Side.

City leaders and a new Chicago Police Commissioner have been forced to tackle civil unrest amid the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing several community policing strategies among other tactics. But police say overall crime is on the decline.

Police Commissioner David Brown promises to make improvements in building community partnerships and strengthening investigations.

“I think our savior will be the COVID vaccination,” Dr Faran Bokhari, chief of trauma at Cook County Hospital. “I think people are so tired of being inside and not being able to do what they usually do.”

Another sobering statistic is the record number of opioid overdose deaths reported by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. According to the MOE, there are 1,599 confirmed cases to date, and potentially up to 500 more toxicological results pending.

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“Really, our worst fears were, you know, really, you know, imagined – that we have seen the number of opioid deaths climb in a very embarrassing way,” said Dr. Steven Aks, emergency physician at the Cook County Hospital and Toxicologist.

But behind all the statistics, there are real families who have lost loved ones and who are suffering. These families carry the pain of 2020 into the new year hoping to heal.

New year of crime

Two people were hit by stray gunfire right after ringing the New Year.

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At around midnight about 12 minutes, Chicago police said a man and woman were sitting in the living room of a house when shots were fired from outside hitting them.

The shooting took place in the 8700 block of South Buffalo Avenue in the South Chicago neighborhood.

The 51-year-old is now in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head and a 51-year-old woman has a scratched head injury. No one is in detention.

A 41-year-old man was killed in Chicago’s first homicide of the new year.

Police said he was driving overnight near 47th and King Drive in the Bronzeville neighborhood when someone started shooting.

The man was shot in the neck and crashed his car.

The police made no arrests.

On Friday morning, Superintendent Brown released a statement saying:
“2020 has been a perfect storm.

Public safety is a multi-faceted effort that requires not only the police, but also street workers, religious leaders, courts, community organizations and residents all working together. However, the criminal justice ecosystem has been deeply affected and disrupted by the global coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd.

The rise in fatal shootings and homicides is not unique to Chicago, as many city leaders and law enforcement officials grapple with unprecedented levels of violence across the country. Our Chicago police officers have faced an unprecedented set of circumstances to deal with an outbreak of violent crime, made even more difficult by having to cope with a health pandemic while facing extended periods of time. increased civil unrest and looting.

Our agents have also been the subject of violent crimes themselves, with shots fired at DPC agents increasing 558% since 2015. As of January 1, 2020, 79 agents were shot dead in 2020, 10 agents having been hit by bullets.

As the rest of our city and country grappled with a global pandemic, the Chicago Police Department also recorded more than 2,450 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the department. Unfortunately, four of our CPD officers succumbed to illnesses linked to COVID.

Over the summer, we shifted our crime strategy towards a city-wide approach to deploy resources to areas with high levels of violence. This strategic shift had a positive impact on public safety and reduced the rate of monthly killings that had accelerated in the first half of 2020. We have also dedicated more resources that will strengthen our narcotics investigations at the middle and upper levels. superior. drug traffickers, who have proven to be the main drivers of the violence.

The best way to reduce crime and violence is to prevent it from happening in the first place by building bridges and trust in the community. Community engagement has become a central part of our unit-level approach to public safety, from the Detective Office to Community Safety Teams and Citywide Critical Incident Response Teams. . This includes Rollin ‘Rec events held over the summer in partnership with the Chicago Parks District, as well as the upcoming launch of the Police Athletic and Arts League in 2021. We have also expanded the Neighborhood Policing Initiative by two. to five districts last summer and will expand to other districts in 2021.

As we close out a tumultuous year and prepare for 2021, our ministry’s vision for a safer Chicago will be anchored in a five-pillar strategy for strategic change: increase community trust, transformational change through reform, better. -being agents, ensuring public security and strengthening investigations.

The Chicago Police Department has a moral obligation to respect the dignity and sanctity of human life. This dignity and respect must be reflected in all aspects of our operations and must permeate all aspects of our organizational culture.

Finally, I want to say how proud I am to be associated with the men and women of the Chicago Police Department. No matter the hardships, no matter the danger, they continue to show up for duty every day and night to serve and protect this great city. ”