Chicago area expressway shootings down 36% so far this year, Illinois State Police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago area expressway shootings are down 36% so far this year compared to 2021, Illinois State Police said.

Through July 21, there have been 84 Chicago area expressway shootings, with 132 shootings over the same period last year, police said.

The number of non-fatal injury shootings is down 46%, going from 70 in 2021 to 38 in 2022. There has been one fatal shooting over so far in 2022, compared to 10 over the same period in 2021, police said.

The video in this story is from a previous report

"This progress is a testament to the important anti-violence work that ISP has done to intercept preventable expressway shootings and keep Illinoisans safe," Governor JB Pritzker said. "By investing in modernized technology and expanding collaboration between jurisdictions, we've been able to ward off many tragedies from striking our streets. Still, the work doesn't stop here. Gun violence is a public health emergency-and my administration will continue to treat it as such by deploying every available resource to counteract this epidemic and save countless lives."

ISP installs more license plate reading cameras along Chicago expressways

The decrease in shootings comes as Illinois State Police installing automatic license plate readers on expressways and air operations.

"The Illinois State Police is committing numerous resources to combat what was a rising number of expressway shootings in the Chicago area," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. "Since increasing the presence of ISP troopers, the use of automated license plate readers, the creation and deployment of specialty anti-violence units, and the use of air operations, the number of Chicagoland expressway shootings for the first half of 2022 decreased by more than a third and arrests have increased. ISP is committed to using every tool in its toolbox to help keep people safe on Illinois expressways."