Chicago Murder Rate Far Exceeds Florida Cities Despite Stricter Gun Laws

The Major Cities Chiefs’ Association released a comparison of homicide statistics for the first half of 2025 and 2026, revealing that Chicago experienced 211 murders in early 2026, an increase from 199 the previous year. By contrast, Miami, Orlando and Tampa together recorded only 29 killings during the same timeframe. This seven-to-one gap underscores a puzzling contrast between Illinois, which enforces strict gun controls and receives low grades from groups like Everytown and Giffords, and Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a “constitutional carry” law in 2023 and an appeals court struck down age restrictions on carrying firearms.

Advocates for gun rights point to Florida’s lower homicide numbers as evidence that permissive policies do not necessarily raise violent crime, while critics argue Chicago’s surge shows that stricter laws alone may not curb murders. The debate continues to shape national discussions on the impact of gun legislation on public safety.