2016: Chicago’s Deadliest in 19 Years, President Trump Offers Federal Help

in Authors, Current Events, S.H. Blannelberry

What’s new in Chi-town?

Well, under the leadership of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city witnessed a spike in gun-related violence that made 2016 the deadliest year for the Windy City in 19 years.

Last year, there were 762 murders and 3,550 shooting incidents involving 4,331 victims, according to a recent Chicago Police Department report.

By comparison, in 2015, there were 480 murders which had been the most in the city since 1997.

The spike in shootings came despite an increase in policing. In 2016, police made 10 percent more gun arrests and confiscated 20 percent more firearms (a total of 8,300) when compared to 2015.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson spoke about the rising tide of casualties at a news conference last Sunday, suggesting that the laws on the books are not tough enough to deter violent behavior.

“In Chicago, we just don’t have a deterrent to pick up a gun,” he said. “Any time a guy stealing a loaf of bread spends more time pre-trial in jail than a gun offender, something is wrong.”

Certainly, if the perpetrators of these shootings aren’t being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law — state and federal law, that is — then the blame should fall directly on the shoulders of Mayor Emanuel. He should be leading the charge to put offenders and repeat offenders behind bars!

On that note, president-elect Donald Trump indicated that it might be time for the federal government to step in and right the ship.

“Chicago murder rate is record setting – 4,331 shooting victims with 762 murders in 2016,” said Trump on Twitter. “If Mayor can’t do it he must ask for Federal help!”

Trump’s got a point. If Emanuel can’t handle the violence epidemic in Chicago — which, let’s face it, is chiefly due to a rampant gang population that Emanuel has let fester during his six-year tenure in office —then maybe the federal government should lend a hand.

Trump, after all, made “law and order” a cornerstone of his candidacy for president. It would be interesting to see how Trump’s approach to curb the violence would differ from the failed policies (many of which seek to erode the 2A rights of law-abiding gun owners) of the two-term Democratic mayor.

Whether the Trump administration steps in or not, one thing is for sure, the people of Chicago are desperate for a solution.  Enough is enough!

About the author: S.H. Blannelberry is the News Editor of GunsAmerica.

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  • Pat J January 7, 2017, 1:30 pm

    I grew up in the Midwest, hunting pheasant and whitetail. Our shotguns and rifles rested between uses at the bottom of a staircase held by a strap of leather around the muzzles, all Winchesters. Everyone in the house knew why those guns were there. We never had trouble or confusion, and I credit hunting for that clarity, and, of course, my father and grandfathers. All great shots.
    I saw black kids, but I never saw a black kid in the field hunting with his father, never.
    I never saw a black kid with a fly rod, or hiking, or wading, or climbing, or having any kind of relationship with the outdoors.
    I pity any man such a small world, he is disabled. I carry to protect myself from men who don’t know how to respect firearms.
    They’re dangerous. And pitiful. Good luck this year, and take your grandson hunting. Somebody did it for you.

  • Joe McHugh January 6, 2017, 11:35 pm

    Um …..am I missing something here? If most of the dead and injured are gang members, isn’t that a self-correcting situation?
    I mean, except for the occasional injury to innocent bystanders, what’s the problem?

    Here’s a thought, provide indoor target shooting ranges for anyone who wants to stop by to improve his accuracy with a gun.
    Make the gun ranges free to all visitors and provide range owned handguns and ammunition to attract those with questionable
    civic responsibility.

    Word will get out that one gang is more lethal than the others and pretty soon, all of the gang members will visit the free target shooting ranges. The gang members will become more efficient at wiping one another out and the numbers of accidental injuries to innocent bystanders will decrease markedly. I’m thinking about a win, win solution here. I mean it’s not like these gang members have a viable future, right?

    • Loucidity January 7, 2017, 8:27 am

      You really haven’t thought that statement through or you are indeed joking or a joke.

      Lethal gang violence, while predominately perpetrated upon rivals, does not now nor would it ever be soley directed upon rivals. As one gang grows more lethal it grows more attractive to those drawn towards gang life. It’s gun toteing, accurate shooting membership would grow relatively unchecked by rival gangs and their targets would shift to new rivals both racial, monetary and civil.

      You should do us all a favor and keep your ideas to yourself until you make a real effort to educated yourself further on the various ethnic and social norms and potentials that exist in the US. inner cities and urban areas.

      Your plan, if implemented nation wide would result in an increase in armed and trained, pro violence, angry and lawless inner city gang membership actively fighting police and preparing for a racially charged, national level civil war.

      • Joe McHugh January 7, 2017, 1:45 pm

        Lucidity, now who’s being delusional? “…until you make a real effort to educate yourself further on the various ethnic and social norms and potentials that exist in the inner cities…” I challenge you to name one positive “…social norms and potentials…” of the young men in the inner cities. If President Johnson had not initiated the abominable “Great Society” programs, chances are that the parents of these human dregs would not have been born. “Oh, you poor little single parent! Here’s some taxpayer money for food, shelter and clothing for your new baby, but do not have more dependent children.” What do millions of such mothers hear? Yup, “Here’s some taxpayer money for food, shelter and clothing, and there will be more for every baby you can produce.”

        So you think that gang members shooting wildly in densely packed neighborhoods, is better than accurate fire that would mostly hit other gang members. Really? Is that your idea of a desired situation?

        Urban education 101. Gangs derive much of their income from drug sales. They do not shoot their customers, the drug users who provide them their money. They do not intend to shoot innocent bystanders because…..wait for it…….
        such deaths are not profitable. They do not seek to engage the police in a gun fight, because …..wait for it….
        there is no profit in it. It’s all about money, or rather the lack of money.

        I suggest that you change your post identifier from “Lucidity” to “Clueless!”

  • mike January 6, 2017, 8:20 pm

    Trump needs to send in the FBI and ATF in undercover roles to buy guns in chicago…bust up the criminals,,gangs, that are carrying and supplying the illegal guns on the streets

  • Richad January 6, 2017, 5:19 pm

    762 violet thugs… no more. A very good year in Chicago!

  • Mike Watkins January 6, 2017, 2:21 pm

    A close look at Chicago leaves only one possible reason for the increasing number of shootings/murders:

    First. While police are attempting to do the job they’ve been assigned, they frequently find the prosecutors office working against them: Repeated failure to follow guidelines for stiffer sentences when a crime involves a gun. Repeated release of some of the worst and most dangerous offenders. Seeing this, I can only imagine how low the morale of the Chicago Police Dept must be.

    Two. The racial makeup of both victims and shooters is overwhelmingly black: about 76% of shooters and 71% of victims are non-white.

    Three. Total dominance in Chicago politics by those who support ever-escalating draconian gun control measures. Plus knowledge on the part of the elite that increased shootings and increased fear will sway more of the citizenry into the gun-control camp.

    Conclusion. The elites are entirely willing to allow sacrifice of black lives if that will further the progress towards elimination of firearms in the hands of the people.

    So. One might have to assume all those “tolerant” and “racially unbiased” Democratic Chicago leaders are in fact a bunch of racist bastages.

    No, not racist. This kind of stuff is merely another example of Democratic strategy straight out of the philosophy of Stalin, Mao, Alinsky, et al: Throw ANYONE under the bus, even your closest friends, to achieve your goals.

    And that, my friends, is a prime reason I’m supremely grateful Hillary did not win.

  • Russ Hebert January 6, 2017, 2:17 pm

    The only thing Chicago needs is for the citizens to muck out the inept and corrupt politicians for a start. Enforce the laws already on the books, not new laws that encumber private citizens and enhance criminal activity. Then lock down the street gangs, punks, hustlers dopers, pimps, hoods, humps and toads. Take back the streets and then the hoods. Make Sherman’s march to the sea look like simple trespass. The time has past for kinder and gentler enforcement.

  • skipNclair January 6, 2017, 1:10 pm

    The last thing anyone or any state needs, is the involvement of the federal govt. The solution to this problem lies within the people that live there, not the govt. How long, has the govt. had to show they can handle this problem, and it appears to not get any better, but allot worse, Again the govt. shows that it is part of the problem, and not the solution. The people have always been the solution so let them solve this.

  • Tom Horn January 6, 2017, 12:29 pm

    This gang violence/gang-banger culture is a complicated problem to solve. Kids imitate their heroes, and unfortunately, many kids in the inner cities idolizes gangster rappers. How do we change the culture? Perhaps they just need to watch some more Matt Damon movies. We all know how anti-gun violence Matt is.

    While working at a gun store I befriended an inner city family, and took them hunting, and to the range. Working with the two teenage sons was a very rewarding mentoring experience, and hopefully helped them grow to be lawful, responsible adults. I about blew a gasket one day when I was out hunting with the family and we arrived back at the hunter’s check-in to find some ignoramus had scrawled racial slurs on the check-in sheet. I wish the boys did not have to witness that.

    Perhaps the NRA and other organization could start a mentoring program for inner city youth. At least teach them to shoot straight, and not hit innocent bystanders. Ultimately, cultural change has to start at home, and I don’t have a solution for that.

  • Jerry January 6, 2017, 11:16 am

    Every watch the Gangland TV show? You see all those gun waving gang members on it? You think they passed background checks? Why do people think it’s easier to disarm an entire nation rather than prosecute those who break our existing laws and jail them for significant terms? Because the government fears a thinking man with a weapon more than it fears a bunch of gang bangers killing each other. They can use the violence figures from those killings to further their case that the nation must be disarmed to become “safe”.

    • Daniel Braatz January 6, 2017, 5:58 pm

      Has making it illegal to buy and sell street drugs solved the drug problem?

  • Trek_er January 6, 2017, 10:35 am

    Statistics lend some value but more importantly we should look to the less discussed statistics. Stating the obvious is easy, finding solutions and being willing to be a part is difficult and long term. Guns are simply the most convenient way to carry out acts of crime, revenge, ect. In terms of crime, over 80% of prison population (nation wide) grow up in home where the father is not present. Regardless of race, the impact is the same on a young man. With that said, fatherlessness among black population is epidemic & most recently I have read triple that of caucasian. I visit men in jail and prison where they boast of children they have fathered yet have not been a father. There is a disregard for authority among older men which is passed on to younger men. Looking for solutions to instill into men the significance of a fathers role in his children’s lives is paramount. Regardless of race the impact is the same. We must address the mindset of men who have never been taught to take responsibility for their lives and actions & stop looking to the government to fix them. We are the government! It must begin in our own homes, communities, schools, media. Incarceration doesn’t change lives for the better & we will only build larger facilities and not offer hope to future generations.

  • kimberpross January 6, 2017, 10:12 am

    Democratic politics for decades is a factor in this as well. Look at Detroit and Chicago can see where they are headed if nothing changes. I seem to recall Detroit being labeled the Murder Capital for some years, that and the liberal policies and corruption have created urban blight like few other cities.

  • viktor knapp January 6, 2017, 10:01 am

    Obumer offers help???? how? go to his daddy’s Africa and would take the cities blacks with him????

  • mcFoo January 6, 2017, 9:44 am

    Well you know what they are doing wrong – not enough “gun control laws” – NYC and Cali have “all the answers”. right??? (kidding, what a joke). You know if everyone has constitutional carry and we had more lawful citizens packing, any gang banger (or general miscreant) is going to think twice about shooting someone because that person is able to shoot back (or shoot first!)

    This situation should be ‘case and point 101’ for swatting down any and all rights-restricting state gun laws.

  • Carlos Danger January 6, 2017, 8:20 am

    In previous years the city of Chicago distorted the number of homicides by labeling the homicides as “death investigations”. For whatever reason TPTB wanted a high murder rate for 2016. Everyone can draw their own conclusions as to why a record high murder rate was preferred in 2016.

    • Joe McHugh January 8, 2017, 7:32 pm

      Carlos Danger, It’s easy to guess why a city like Chicago would attempt to disguise the true number of firearms related deaths.
      They usually want to look like they have some measure of control if they can show that such numbers are not climbing from year to year.

      As to why a large city would suddenly start reporting actual gun-related deaths, I suggest that the politicians are looking for justification to pass more anti-guns laws. Such reasoning can always be expected of liberals who think that the criminal element will notice one more anti-gun law.

  • Jay January 6, 2017, 7:51 am

    I thought black life’s matter? Maybe someone needs to tell the mayor that and the blm needs to go in there ranting and raving to stop the violence if they care so much about their broothers!

  • An1 January 6, 2017, 7:31 am

    Interesting I do not believe obummer even tried to help, yet I hear he is scheduled to have his final speech in Chicago. I know what he is going to say “destroy shit and steal what you believe is yours” . Then I can wait to see trump send in the national guard to take over that city

  • Troop emonds January 6, 2017, 5:21 am

    Simple solution: use across the street metal detectors. Have gang watch police assist federal ATF Forces to dragnet groups of suspected gang areas and stop, frisk, search for metal laden people like at airports; only more public safety minded high crime areas.

    If people have permits to carry they are excused.

    If you are carrying a gun, you get prociquted five years mandatory.

    • DRAINO January 6, 2017, 9:08 am

      So I see you are against constitutional carry……?! You just as well be a democrat. Unless you are already a felon, simply carrying a gun is not/should not ever be a crime by itself.
      And it’s spelled “p-r-o-s-e-c-u-t-e-d”

      AMERICANISM!!!! NOT Globalism!!!

    • joe January 6, 2017, 10:34 am

      So the answer is to violate everyone’s rights? Great plan. Mighty white of you.

  • DRAINO January 5, 2017, 8:44 am

    Hmm….I’m waiting to see the crap storm of people screaming the R-word that such truthful facts have been mentioned……(wincing, holding an umbrella). How terrible it is that people should see truth in the facts that are so plain before ALL of us. Fortunately we have some great guys who are realizing the writing on the wall like Sheriff Clark, Commissioner James Craig who are adamant about ALL people arming and protecting themselves. Chicago needs to take a few notes from Detroit. I bet some more recent stats would show Detroit’s rank falling on that list and Chi-Raq’s rank steadily climbing. Time will tell. Should Trump Step in?….Not directly. Should the current leadership be fired? Definitely!!! The people of Chicago need to make the change. Trump should simply help make sure that the process is not skewed or rigged. Getting the economy going and providing jobs will help immensely…but there are a lot of social issues that will need addressed and take a lot of time to recover from. There is no overnight fix for the problems in Chicago…..or the other crime ridden cities.

    AMERICANISM!!!! NOT Globalism!!!

  • Billybob January 4, 2017, 1:44 pm

    NOW WOULD SOMEONE GO TO THE 2010 USA CENSUS AND POST THE NUMBER OF NON WHITE\’s LIVING IN THESE CITY\’S ! THE MORE CRIME THE FEWER WHITES !
    Most Dangerous American Cities
    Ranking Population Violent Crime Rate (Per 100,000 people) Violent Crime Murder Rate (Per 100,000 people) Murder Forcible Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault
    Flint, Mich. 1 101,632 2,729.46 2,774 61.99 63 108 673 1,930
    Detroit, Mich. 2 707,096 2,122.91 15,011 54.59 386 441 4,843 9,341
    Oakland, Calif. 3 399,487 1,993.31 7,963 31.79 127 271 4,338 3,227
    St. Louis, Mo. 4 318,667 1,776.46 5,661 35.46 113 199 1,778 3,571
    Memphis, Tenn. 5 657,436 1,750.28 11,507 20.23 133 420 3,382 7,572
    Stockton, Calif. 6 299,105 1,547.95 4,630 23.74 71 90 1,556 2,913
    Birmingham, Ala. 7 213,266 1,517.82 3,237 31.42 67 152 983 2,035
    New Haven, Conn. 8 129,934 1,439.19 1,870 13.08 17 55 844 954
    Baltimore, Md. 9 625,474 1,405.17 8,789
    Washington, D.C. 21 632,323 1,177.88 7,448 13.92 88 236 3,725 3,399
    Miami, Fla. 22 414,327 1,172.02 4,856 16.65 69 65 2,096 2,626
    Toledo, Ohio 23 286,020 1,171.95 3,352 13.64 39 172 1,126 2,015
    Philadelphia, Pa. 24 1,538,957 1,160.07 17,853 21.51 331 880 7,984 8,658
    Newark, N.J. 25 278,906 1,154.51 3,220 34.42 96 55 1,976 1,093
    Richmond, Calif. 26 106,357 1,092.55 1,162 16.92 18 36 391 717
    Baton Rouge, La. 27 231,500 1,082.94 2,507 28.51 66 64 1,033 1,344
    Odessa, Texas 28 103,635 1,064.31 1,103 4.82 5 43 141 914
    Paterson, N.J. 29 147,148 1,054.72 1,552 14.27 21 22 854 655
    Springfield, Mass. 30 154,518 1,039.36 1,606
    Ranking Population Violent Crime Rate (Per 100,000 people) Violent Crime Murder Rate (Per 100,000 people) Murder Forcible Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault
    Dayton, Ohio 41 142,139 973.69 1,384 16.88 24 112 633 615
    Knoxville, Tenn. 42 182,254 973.37 1,774 9.88 18 119 528 1,109
    Springfield, Ill. 43 117,131 971.56 1,138 8.54 10 76 260 792
    Worcester, Mass. 44 183,247 959.36 1,758 4.37 8 33 419 1,298
    Jackson, Miss. 45 175,939 948.06 1,668 35.81 63 135 799 671
    San Bernardino, Calif. 46 214,987 940.52 2,022 21.86 47 56 803 1,116
    Syracuse, N.Y. 47 145,934 940.15 1,372 9.59 14 75 454 829
    Lansing, Mich. 48 114,688 939.94 1,078
    Elizabeth, N.J. 61 126,281 797.43 1,007 11.09 14 37 535 421
    Peoria, Ill. 62 115,288 797.13 919 8.67 10 25 324 560
    Tacoma, Wash. 63 202,646 796.96 1,615 5.92 12 93 486 1,024
    Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 64 1,479,393 783.97 11,598 5.14 76 596 3,824 7,102
    Modesto, Calif. 65 204,631 777.01 1,590 9.77 20 59 450 1,061
    Grand Rapids, Mich. 66 189,953 771.24 1,465 8.42 16 46 462 941
    Shreveport, La. 67 202,164 766.7 1,550 8.41 17 92 433 1,008
    North Las Vegas, Nev. 68 221,884 763.91 1,695 6.31 14 73 389 1,219
    Pittsburgh, Pa. 69 312,112 751.97 2,347 13.14 41 47 1,134 1,125
    Albuquerque, N.M. 70 553,684 749.71 4,151 7.4 41 278 1,092 2,740
    Vallejo, Calif. 71 117,912 744.62 878 11.87 14 44 380 440
    Wichita, Kan. 72 386,409 742.48 2,869 5.95 23 228 495 2,123
    Sacramento, Calif. 73 476,557 738.63 3,520 7.13 34 125 1,211 2,150
    Jersey City, N.J. 74 251,554 734.24 1,847 4.37 11 45 880 911
    North Charleston, S.C. 75 100,675 732.06 737 12.91 13 61 212 451
    Pueblo, Colo. 76 109,065 730.76 797 7.34 8 21 199 569
    Durham, N.C. 77 235,563 725.92 1,710 8.91 21 63 615 1,011
    Tucson, Ariz. 78 531,535 724.51 3,851 8.09 43 234 1,260 2,314
    St. Paul, Minn. 79 290,700 722.74 2,101 4.47 13 168 658 1,262
    San Francisco, Calif. 80 820,363 704.2 5,777 8.41 69 108 3,484 2,116

  • Billybob January 3, 2017, 10:43 am

    Chicago has the third largest urban Black population in the nation mostly the result of the huge influx of African Americans during both of the “Great Black Migrations” north. The largest percent came from Mississippi, but many also came from other South Central states such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and East Texas. Most were attracted by the city’s railway companies steel mills, and meatpacking houses, the black population in Chicago grew from 44,000 in 1910 to 235,000 in 1930.
    According to FBI statistics (available in the public domain), despite being only 13% of the population in the United States, in 2012 black offenders accounted for 48% of murders, 32% of rapes, 55% of robberies, 34% of aggravated assaults, 31% of burglaries, 28% of larceny-theft, 31% of motor vehicle theft, and 24% of arson. In \”white collar crime,\” you can also note that black offenders accounted for 33% forgery and counterfeiting, 32% of frauds, and 33% of embezzlement. Additionally, black offenders accounted for 25% of vandalism, 40% of illegal weapons possession, 43% of prostitution, 25% of sexual offenses (other than rape and prostitution), 31% of drug abuse violations, 67% of illegal gambling, and 31% of offenses against family and children. The fact is that while blacks make up only 12 percent of the population, they account for 46 percent of total violent crime and 90 percent of the murders of other blacks. It is they, not whites or gun manufacturers, who are responsible for the disproportionate gun deaths of young black males.

    • TxBorder January 3, 2017, 3:50 pm

      BTW, Billybob
      That 13% is not entirely truthful because that includes everyone in that demographic; male, female, adult, elderly, children, pitbulls etc. It’s more like 3% of that demographic because the elderly, children and women are a tiny fraction included in those alarming stats you just put up. That 3% is the adult male in that demographic. It’s really sad for all of humanity.

      • viktor knapp January 6, 2017, 10:53 am

        Why should it be ” sad for all of humanity” crimes done by animals, apes, monkeys?

    • Will Drider January 3, 2017, 9:06 pm

      Yet the tactics of profiling and stop and search (which were effective) have been stopped.

    • Archangel January 6, 2017, 3:10 pm

      If the police focused on blond haired blue eyed guys and treated them like black men are treated, they would have a higher rate of crimes as well.
      Were I black, I doubt I would have survived being 15 years old.
      While young and “misbehaving”, being white I was never confronted and never caught, but other black and Hispanic kids who were not “misbehaving” in any way were harassed and treated like they were 100% guilty but just not caught yet.
      It is a skewed system.

      • Billybob January 6, 2017, 6:11 pm

        Archangel to dumb to even know how dumb he is !The Facts
        The “Meet the Press” segment immediately gained attention against the backdrop of a grand jury contemplating whether to charge the white police officer in the Aug. 9, 2014, shooting of a black teenager. The shooting prompted angry residents to demand justice for Brown and alleging racism. Local police responded to the outraged demonstrations with military equipment — raising more questions over police brutality.Showing a map of cities with the greatest discrepancy between the police racial makeup and the community they serve, Todd asked: “All of those could be future Fergusons. How do you make a police force that looks like the community they serve?”Giuliani responded by citing a statistic from a 2010 Bureau of Justice Statistics report which did, indeed, conclude that 93 percent of black homicide victims from 1980 through 2008 were killed by black offenders. The statement implied that intraracial violence in black communities is uniquely bad. Giuliani later repeated this statistic in a FOX News interview.The statement lacks significant context.As our colleague Philip Bump at The Fix noted, Giuliani omitted the comparable statistic in the report for white homicide victims: 84 percent of white victims were killed by white offenders.
        324,000 U.S. Blacks Killed by Blacks In Only 35 Years
        December 21, 2014 AFP 92 Comments• Over the past 35 years in America, an estimated 324,000 blacks have been killed at the hands of fellow blacks, proving “racist” white cops are the least of their worries.By Pete Papaherakles —There is now no doubt that Michael Brown was rightfully killed in self-defense by officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The grand jury conclusively decided this was the case, and all the evidence confirms that decision. Yet most of the media, blinded black leaders and liberals still try to make the case that the biggest problem today in America is white cops killing innocent black males. This myth has been repeated over and over again, but, according to statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, blacks have more to fear from fellow blacks than they do from police officers across the country.Former New York City Mayor Rudolph William Louis “Rudy” Giuliani was excoriated by the mainstream media for citing statistics that prove white cops killing black males is minor compared to the thousands who are killed every year by other blacks.

  • taxx73 January 2, 2017, 8:27 pm

    Hey Illinois how\’s that gun control working for ya? An armed society is a polite and safe society.
    I\’m glad that I live in a state that so far has resisted these b.s. mind control laws. Easy solution is to erase the restrictions on guns for the law abiding citizens of the state. Let more people get cpl\’s (concealed pistol license).
    It\’s obvious that the state government doesn\’t care about it\’s people so why should the people listen to the government?
    LEAVE OUR RIGHTS ALONE!!!!!!

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