Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Boasts of ‘Downward Trajectory’ in Crime — Despite Nearly 30% Surge in Murders Since 2019

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) said she was seeing a decline in crime in her city — despite murders increasing by nearly 30 percent over the last two years.

“The reality is, June over June, we’re seeing a downward trend in both homicides and shootings,” Lightfoot said at a Monday press conference. “We are seeing a downward trajectory where other cities are continuing to see a climb.”

Despite statistics from the first part of June, this year has been the deadliest for the city in more than a decade. A total of 294 people were killed in the city from January through June 12, according to a count maintained by the Chicago Tribune, including 259 men and 35 were women.

Official city data indicated 1,734 people were shot in Chicago from January through June 19, including 281 who died. Another 21 Chicagoans were murdered by other methods.

The figures mean shooting deaths in the city are up 5 percent this year compared to 2020, when pandemic-induced shutdowns coincided with a reduction in violent crime, and 29 percent compared to 2019.

Lightfoot, who was flanked by Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, acknowledged the victory lap was “cold comfort to a single person that’s been shot, a single person that’s been killed.”

Watch above via Fox 32.

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