Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office Surpasses 2019 Homicide Totals

People of color victims of 95 percent of 2020 homicides

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed 677 homicides this year, surpassing the total of 675 for all of 2019. This puts the County on track to exceed 900 homicide deaths in 2020.

Chicago accounts for most of this year’s homicides with 565 inside city limits. People of color made up 95 percent of all 2020 homicide deaths. Approximately 79 percent of homicide victims were Black, 16 percent Latino. More than 86 percent of this year’s homicides were gun-related.

According to the Medical Examiner’s Office, at this time last year the Office had confirmed 487 homicides. Of the 675 homicide deaths confirmed in 2019, 583 were attributed to injuries sustained from gunshot wounds, 521 deaths were Black and 102 were Latino.

The last time the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office reached over 900 homicide deaths was in 2016 when there were 921 cases. In 1994, the Office confirmed 1,141 homicides. The County also surpassed 900 homicides in 1995 and 1996.

To access homicide data from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, please visit the case archive.