Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Wednesday, September 18
The annual number of shootings and homicides are steadily decreasing around the country. But for the second time in three years, Chicago leads the nation in murders -- 599 in 2003, compared with 594 in NYC and fewer than 500 in LA. Our city's murder rate is actually three times New York's because of our smaller population. Happy new year! [Trib login: gapers/gapers]