Cook County records over 1,000 homicides in 2021, highest since 1994

COOK COUNTY, Ill. - With 1,009 recorded homicides to date, 2021 is on-pace to be among the worst years for homicides in Cook County history.

"I've never seen 1,000 homicides for the whole 17 years I've been in this office," said Ponni Arunkuma, Cook County's Chief Medical Examiner.

Of the victims, 156 have been children or teenagers, 96 percent of the victims have been African American or Latino and homicides overall are up 40 percent compared to 2019.

"Our numbers are always more than both New York and Los Angeles put together, and to see that number increase even more is concerning," Arunkuma said.

"Everybody was all-in, in Illinois, to deal with COVID, but when it comes to the violence, all of the sudden it's not even being spoken about, hardly," added Father Michael Pfleger.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 NEWS APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

Even though more than 90 percent of the homicides were shootings, Pfleger says gun violence remains a "back-burner issue" in Chicago.

"If I had an African American or Hispanic son right now — nine,10, 11-years old — I would get him out of the city. If I couldn't afford to move, I would send him somewhere. It's a killing field out here," Pfleger said.

According to the medical examiner's office, the oldest homicide victim of 2021 was 84 years old, the youngest was just one month old.

The deadliest year in Chicago History was 1991, when the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office handled a record 1,221 homicides.