Some residents of downtown Chicago are looking to make a move out of the city following recent widespread looting and violence.
Residents confirmed they don’t feel safe in the city anymore, according to interviews published Wednesday by the Chicago Tribune.
Some residents in affluent neighborhoods downtown, and on the North Side, say they no longer feel safe in Chicago and are looking to move away https://t.co/kXjUVmQBNj
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) August 27, 2020
The most recent looting incidents took place in the business district of the city after an officer-involved shooting took place on Aug. 9. Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the looting “an assault” on Chicago, according to the Guardian.
“This was straight-up, felony criminal conduct,” Lightfoot said. “This was an assault on our city.”
River North resident Amber, whose last name was withheld by the outlet due to safety concerns, said she and her husband are looking for something with “more safety.” (RELATED: Rioters, Looters Hit Chicago After Man Reportedly Hit In Shootout With Police)
“Not to make it all about us; the whole world is suffering,” Amber told the outlet. “This is a minute factor in all of that, and we totally realize that. We are very lucky to have what we do have.”
“But I do think that I’ve never had to think about my own safety in this way before.”
Compass real estate broker Rafael Murillo told the outlet that he’s noticed a trend of downtown dwellers looking to move to the suburbs sooner than expected.
“They want to feel safe,” Murillo told the Chicago Tribune. “They want to be able to come outside their homes and enjoy their neighborhood amenities, whether it’s running at the park, enjoying a nice little dinner, shopping. But with everything going on, there are a lot of residents who are not feeling safe right now.”
Chicago resident Neil Spun has lived in the city for half of his life, but he claimed the recent looting has pushed him to look downstate at smaller towns.
“There have been riots before, and looting,” Spun told the outlet. “It just seems to me now that the city isn’t doing anything about it. I don’t see this getting any better, and so I’d like to leave.”
On top of the widespread looting, the homicide rate in Chicago has surged this year. Between Jan. 1 and the end of July, there were 440 homicides in the city and 2,240 people were shot, according to NBC Chicago.
