BY WILL HAGER
Homicide Watch Chicago
Chicago went through its longest murder-free stretch of the year in March and closed out the month with 22 homicides, the fourth lowest total for a March on record, Chicago Police said.
Despite four murders in the first two days of the month, Chicago went through a period of 133 hours without a murder from March 2–7, eclipsing the run of 126 killing-free hours from Feb. 15-20.
“We continue to make progress in reducing crime and violence, driven by the Mayor’s comprehensive youth violence prevention strategy, which is more than policing alone,” Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said in a statement.
Through the first quarter of 2014, murders are down 8.8 percent and shootings down 26 percent compared to the same time last year.
Overall, Chicago had seven more killings than in March 2013, when a record-low 15 people were murdered. Chicago had 52 homicides in March 2012, and 23 in March 2011.
Shootings made up 15 of the 22 killings in March, and 19 of the victims were male.
The youngest was Ameriah Roberson at 19 months, and the oldest was 76-year-old Leannia Hall. The most common victim was an 18-year-old man.
There were a total of 106 shootings and 128 shooting victims in March 2014, compared to 108 shootings and 126 victims in March 2013.
Five of the city’s 77 neighborhoods had two murders in March: Grand Boulevard, Humboldt Park, West Englewood, West Garfield Park and South Shore.
Through March, Chicago Police have recorded 62 murders for the year. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, which classifies homicides differently, has recorded 68 through the first three months of 2014.