For Release: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Violence Policy Center and One Aim Illinois Release Annual Report: Gun Death in Illinois
CHICAGO — Every year, thousands of Illinois families lose someone to gun violence. A new report released today by the Violence Policy Center and One Aim Illinois shows that gun violence doesn’t affect every Illinois community equally. For some, it’s a distant tragedy. For others, it’s a constant, devastating reality.
The report, which draws from the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finds that Black Illinoisans continue to be disproportionately impacted by lethal gun violence. While Black residents make up 13.9% of the state’s population, they account for 68.7% of firearm homicide victims and are 26 times more likely to die by firearm homicide than white residents.
“The data in this report are unambiguous and reveal the escalating role played by firearms in homicide and suicide across the state. Gun violence in Illinois is not distributed equally and the racial disparities are staggering,” said Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center.
In 2024, 1,563 Illinoisans lost their lives to gun violence. Illinois continues to lead the Great Lakes states in homicide and firearm homicide rates.
“Behind every statistic in this report is a family that has lost someone, a community that is grieving, and a survivor who has had to find a way to keep going,” said Yolanda Androzzo, executive director of One Aim Illinois. “Illinois must do more to protect our communities, especially communities of color, from the gun violence that continues to claim lives at a devastating and disproportionate rate.”
Illinois by the Numbers
- 82% of all homicides in Illinois were committed with a firearm in 2024, up from 66% in 2004.
- 46% of all suicides were committed with a firearm in 2024, up from 34% in 2009.
- The firearm homicide victimization rate for Black males in Illinois was more than 35 times that of white males. For Black females, the firearm homicide victimization rate was nine times that of white females.
- Hispanic Illinoisans were four and a half times more likely to die by firearm homicide than white residents.
The report also presents profiles of members of the One Aim Illinois Survivors Program. Their stories make clear that while data helps us understand the scale of this ongoing crisis, the human cost behind every number is real and immeasurable.
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The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
One Aim Illinois is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to end gun violence through education, advocacy, and organizing.
