Chicago Is Responsible for Almost Half of the Increase in U.S. Homicides

The murder rate in the U.S. is projected to rise by about 13% this year, but almost half of that increase is due to violence in just one city—Chicago.

A new study released Monday by New York University’s Brennan Center projects that while crime overall in 2016 has remained virtually unchanged from last year, the murder rate is expected to rise 13.1% thanks to unprecedented violence in Chicago, which has seen more than 500 murders this year alone. Chicago is the only major U.S.