Homicides are up 24% in 36 of the 50 biggest cities in the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic, though other types of violent crime fell, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.
Chicago has the most homicides at 433, followed by Philadelphia (243), New York (212), Houston (178), and Los Angeles (157), according to data through at least early July. In total, the 50 cities recorded 3,612 homicides this year.
Robberies were down 11% among the 41 largest cities that made the data available, but up overall in San Antonio by 22%, San Diego (21%), Austin (16%), Fort Worth (15%), and Phoenix (5%).
"Everything that society does that might shape public safety was turned upside-down during the pandemic," Jens Ludwig, a University of Chicago professor and director of its data Crime Lab, told the Journal.
A number of factors have likely contributed to the surge in homicides, say police, researchers, mayors and community leaders, including an increase in gun violence, fallout from the pandemic, the closing of churches, schools and other social institutions and "evidence of a fraying of the social order."
In Chicago, homicides were more prevalent in the "most disadvantaged neighborhoods that were already suffering the most from longstanding economic challenges and the coronavirus," Ludwig said.
"Gangs are built around structure and lack thereof," Jeff La Blue, a spokesman for the Fresno police department, told the news outlet. "With schools being closed and a lot of different businesses being closed, the people that normally would have been involved in positive structures in their lives aren't there."
"Nerves are high. People are short on money," he added.