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2017 Murders Hit 100 in City

By Kelly Bauer | February 23, 2017 12:28pm | Updated on February 23, 2017 8:31pm
 The city reached the 100 murders milestone two days earlier than it did last year.
The city reached the 100 murders milestone two days earlier than it did last year.
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DNAinfo/Kelly Bauer

DOWNTOWN — Chicago has already seen 100 murders in 2017, according to a DNAinfo analysis.

A particularly violent Wednesday that saw seven people killed — including a pregnant woman and 60-year-old man — pushed the city to the grim milestone overnight, according to DNAinfo data.

In 2016, the city had seen 100 murders by Feb. 24. That was the start to a bloody year that ended with more than 740 people slain and shootings up about 50 percent.

The death toll again caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who on Thursday tweeted: "What is going on there - totally out of control. Chicago needs help!"

While murders are about on pace with what the city saw last year, the city is hitting the milestone much quicker than it has in the past.

Chicago didn't see 100 murders until:

• April 10 in 2015

• April 28 in 2014

• May 3 in 2013

• March 21 in 2012

And shootings are up this year even compared to last: There have been 392 shootings that killed or wounded 483 people so far this year, while over the same period in 2016 there were 371 shootings that claimed 445 victims.

In January, Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said violence was "about the same" this year as in 2016. All of last year saw more than 4,200 people either killed or wounded in shootings.

The city's violence has drawn national attention, with Trump likening Chicago to a "war-torn country" during his campaign and threatening to "send in the Feds!" in January.

Officials are upgrading technology in hopes of preventing violence in the hardest-hit neighborhoods. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has pushed for stronger relationships between community members and police and for funding mentoring programs that can dissaude youths from getting caught up in gangs and violence.

Activists and experts have said communities of color have faced disinvestment or hardships that have led to the rise in shootings. Residents need access to mental health resources to help curb the shootings, experts claim.

A U.S. Justice Department investigation found a lack of police accountability in Chicago has contributed to a "deadly cycle" of violence.