The early hours of Friday saw Chicago’s 400th homicide for the year after two men were shot in the city’s Near North Side neighborhood, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
While the circumstances of the shooting are still unknown, one of the men, 31, died on the scene after multiple shots to the face. The other 34-year-old man endured repeated shots to the abdomen and went to the hospital in critical condition.
This homicide came on the 207th day of the year, which means the city is dealing with almost two homicides per day. Chicago is outpacing last year’s count by reaching the 400-mark before last year’s which fell on Aug. 1, reported the Sun-Times. There were 781 homicides last year.
The city’s warmer months have seen the tally rise at a faster rate. Two hundred homicides were totaled by May 9, and the last 100 have occurred since June 18.
Notably, 10 deaths come from individuals who sustained wounds from the past, and five deaths caused by on-duty police officers are not reported in the 400 because they are under investigation.
Homicides throughout the year have seen great disproportionality when it comes to gender, race and cause of death.
Of the victims, ranging in age from two months to 78 years old, 371 experienced fatal gunshot wounds. The second most frequent cause of death, with a tally of only 15, is stabbing.
Cook County Medical Examiner’s office reported that 90 percent of the deceased were African-American or Hispanic. Only 38 of the fatalities were suffered by women.
This milestone comes just three days after President Trump called out Chicago violence in a speech in Ohio, asking the mayor to “get tough because it’s not working what they are doing.”