Redeye Analysis

Austin and Chatham each saw two homicides in the last week, according to a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data. In Austin,a 31-year-old man was shot to death Sunday in the 100 block of South Cicero Avenue, police said. One day earlier, a 32-year-old man was fatally shot in the 4800 block of West Ferdinand Street, officials said. Austin has recorded five homicides so far this year. The West Side community area logged 37 homicides last year, according to RedEye data. In Chatham, two women, ages 24 and 42, died of sharp-force injuries Feb. 20 in the 8100 block of South Maryland Avenue, according to officials.

February ended Thursday with 14 homicides, down from 29 homicides in February 2012, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. Monthly homicide totals in the teens are extremely rare. The lowest monthly homicide total of the last 10 years was 16 homicides recorded in January 2005, according to reports posted on the Chicago Police Department's website. Seventeen homicides were logged in February 2006. Last month saw three periods of four days without a homicide. The last homicide Chicago logged in February was Sunday.

Humboldt Park, South Shore and Woodlawn each saw a homicide in the last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. In Woodlawn, a 6-month-old girl was shot Monday in the 6500 block of South Maryland Avenue and died the next day, according to officials. Woodlawn has recorded one homicide so far this year. The South Side community area logged 20 homicides last year, RedEye data shows. In South Shore, a 24-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday in the 1900 block of East 79th Street, police said.

Six men were shot to death in Chicago on Sunday, making it the deadliest day of the year, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. According to police: At about 3 a.m., a 25-year-old man was fatally shot in the 1600 block of North Elston Avenue in West Town. Nine-and-a-half hours later, a 22-year-old man was shot to death in the 1700 block of West 51st Street in New City. At 5:43 p.m., a 30-year-old man was fatally shot in the 3000 block of West 25th Street in South Lawndale.

Four men were shot and killed in West Garfield Park in about 24 hours this week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. Two men were shot to death about 8:55 p.m. Monday in the 4100 block of West Adams Street, officials said. Nearly four hours earlier, a 21-year-old man was fatally shot in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street, police said. A 19-year-old man was shot to death about 8:15 p.m. Sunday in the 4100 block of West Van Buren Street, police said. West Garfield Park has logged eight homicides so far this year.

Austin and South Deering each saw two homicides in the last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. In Austin, an 18-year-old man was shot to death Tuesday in the 1000 block of North Lawler Avenue, police said. One day earlier, a 39-year-old man was fatally shot in the 300 block of North Latrobe Avenue, according to officials. Austin, Chicago's largest community area, has logged 22 homicides so far this year, RedEye data shows. The West Side community recorded 30 homicides last year, according to RedEye data.

Fifty-five homicides have been recorded so far this month in Chicago, making August the deadliest month of the year, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. Two other months this year recorded 50 or more homicides: March and May. The deadliest month last year was July, which saw 55 homicides. Thirty-seven homicides were logged in August 2011. In the last week, Chatham saw four homicides in two days, RedEye data shows. Two men, ages 18 and 20, were shot to death Saturday in the 7900 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, police said.

Bridgeport, Englewood and West Garfield Park each saw two homicides in the last week, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. In Bridgeport, two men were shot to death Saturday in the 500 block of West Pershing Road, police said. Bridgeport has logged two homicides so far this year. The South Side community area recorded four homicides last year, according to RedEye data. In Englewood, a 38-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday in the 7000 block of South Carpenter Street, police said.

Chicago ended the first quarter of 2012 last week with 118 homicides, the worst first quarter for homicides in nine years, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. The city recorded 50 homicides in March, up from 22 homicides in March 2011, RedEye data shows. Chicago also saw a 57 percent increase in homicides from January through March compared to last year, when 75 homicides were recorded in the first quarter. The last time Chicago saw this many homicides in the first quarter was 2003, when 120 homicides were recorded, according to a 2008 Chicago Police Department report.

Seven homicides were recorded Nov. 5, making it the deadliest day of the year so far, a RedEye analysis of preliminary police data found. At 2:10 a.m., a 23-year-old man was shot to death in the 1300 block of South Troy Street in North Lawndale, officials said. About an hour-and-a-half later, a 19-year-old man was fatally shot in the 1100 block of North Ashland Avenue in West Town, according to police. At about noon, a 34-year-old man was shot to death in the 300 block of North Pine Avenue in Austin, police said.