FBI UCR Homicide Data — 1,423 recorded incidents
Chicago's homicide epidemic has made it the national benchmark for urban violence. The city's South and West sides — neighborhoods like Englewood, Austin, and Humboldt Park — have recorded homicide rates that dwarf any other American city in raw numbers, driven by a combination of gang fragmentation, economic disinvestment, and a historically strained relationship between CPD and the communities it serves. Chicago also gained notoriety as the birthplace of serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr., who used his suburban Normal, Illinois home and a crawlspace beneath to conceal the bodies of 33 young men between 1972 and 1978. More recently, the city has grappled with the fallout of high-profile cases like the murder of 8-year-old Antonio Moore in 2023, underscoring how children remain disproportionately vulnerable to the city's wave of gun violence. The Murder Channel tracks Chicago homicides through FBI UCR data, providing real-time context for a city that has become synonymous with America's ongoing struggle with violent crime.
Chicago, Illinois has recorded 1,423 homicides over the tracked period, with 1,564 victims identified. Chicago recorded 421 homicides in 2026, 31% increased from 322 in 2025. The city ranks #2 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 8% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 118 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 43% of cases with weapon data), with firearm - type unknown, knife/cutting instrument as the next-most-frequent categories. The single deadliest month on record was March 2026, with 87 homicides logged.
Chicago's homicide rate is 1432% above the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 1,016 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Chicago Police Department, which filed 1,288 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Illinois state homicide data page. The Chicago metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.