First Shooting of 2021 in Chicago Took 12 Minutes, First Murder Took 3 Hours

Death didn’t take a holiday in Chicago. The first shooting of the year happened at 12:12 am on January 1st. A man and a woman, both age 51, were shot in the head as they sat in their living room. Someone fired the shots from outside their home. There are no suspects and police are investigating the incident.

The first murder of the year in Chicago happened at 3:15 am. A 62-year-old man was shot in the neck while driving his car. He was pronounced at the hospital.

Newly released crime figures show a 55 percent increase in shootings and a 53 percent increase in murders when compared to last year. In 2020 alone, 4,033 people were the victims of gun violence in Chicago. Blacks accounted for 78 percent of the 769 murder victims.

In the post George Floyd world, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown called 2020 “a perfect storm.” He noted that 79 officers were shot at in 2020, with 10 officers being struck by bullets.

Brown issued a lengthy statement on Friday, commenting in part, “The increase in fatal shootings and homicides is not unique to Chicago, as many major city chiefs and law enforcement executives are grappling with unprecedented levels of violence throughout the nation. Our Chicago Police officers faced an unprecedented set of circumstances in contending with a spike in violent crime, made even more difficult by having to contend with a health pandemic while facing extended periods of heightened civil unrest and looting.”

In a year of misery, COVID-19 took 8,192 lives in Cook County, where Chicago is located. In addition, opioid overdoses claimed another 1,599 lives. An additional 500 suspected opioid deaths are pending toxicology results.

Everyone is glad that 2020 is over. But 2021 started out the way 2020 ended, with the sound of gunfire filling the streets of Chicago.


Image from: abc7chicago.com

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