The south and southwest suburbs saw a 35% decrease in homicides in 2025 compared to 2024, according to tracking by the Daily Southtown, reflecting a continuing downward trend in recent years.

The same trend is apparent in numbers for Chicago and greater Cook County, according to a preliminary analysis published by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

According to that report, there were 541 homicides in Cook County as a whole last year, down from 792 in 2024 and 850 in 2023. Last year was the first year since 2014 that the medical examiner’s office handled fewer than 600 homicides in a year, the report said.

Dolton and Harvey tied for the most homicides in the south suburbs, with seven each, according to Southtown tracking. In 2024, Harvey and Dolton each had nine homicides, the Daily Southtown reported.

Homicides in both Cook County and Chicago have been on a steady decline since 2021, when they peaked with 1,094 homicides in Cook County, 839 of which were in the city of Chicago, according to the medical examiner’s office. Homicides peaked nationally in 2021, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

In Chicago, gun violence fell to lows not seen in a decade last year, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Homicides in the south suburbs in 2025 were nearly halved compared to 2023, according to tracking by the Daily Southtown.

The first Southland homicide of 2025 was in Harvey, when Eric McCann, 22, was shot on New Year’s Day.

One high-profile shooting unfolded in Harvey when an August house party turned deadly, leaving seven people injured and one man dead. Two men opened fire on partygoers. One man, Charles Lipsey, 24, of Richton Park, was shot and killed when a party attendee licensed for concealed carry returned fire.

Another man killed the next day in Harvey, Jeremiah Adtutubofuh, 28, of Chicago, was thought by police to have been shot in retaliation for the party shooting.

Ford Heights saw four homicides in 2025, according to Daily Southtown tracking. Two of the victims were killed in the same shooting July 5: Michael Agee, 32, of Lynwood, and Rayquan Dixon, 31, of Hammond, Indiana. A suspect, 31-year-old Detrion Anderson of Chicago, was arrested Jan. 1 and has been charged with first-degree murder.

Hazel Crest, Riverdale, South Holland and Chicago Heights each had three homicides reported last year, according to the data.

Riverdale had six homicides in 2024, and Chicago Heights had five, according to prior reporting.

In South Holland, 16-year-old Davell Holden, a Thornwood High athlete, was killed Aug. 2 outside his girlfriend’s home in what officials later said was a case of mistaken identity. Holden’s girlfriend had lived on the same street as the intended victim, who Holden resembled, village officials said.

Murder charges were filed last month against three defendants in Holden’s death: 21-year-old Javan Moore, 20-year-old Demon Smith and a 16-year-old.

One of the final homicide cases of the year was a double homicide in Richton Park Dec. 27. Nivia Phillips, 38, and her boyfriend, Marcus Jones, 45, were killed. Phillips’ 21-year-old son, Javonte Morris, was later charged with the crime. No other homicides were reported in Richton Park last year.

The Daily Southtown also tracked two homicides each in Glenwood, Markham, Matteson and Lansing in 2025.

In May, Charlotte Love, 23, was killed in a murder-suicide by Kash Wakefield, 37, in May. Police said the two had been dating. On May 13, Wakefield shot Love multiple times, then shot himself in the head, according to police. Love died of her injuries early the next day.

Worth, Crestwood, Park Forest, Oak Forest, Robbins, Crete, Steger, Calumet Park, Evergreen Park, Chicago Ridge and Blue Island all had one homicide each in 2025, according to Daily Southtown tracking.

In Chicago Ridge, Alaa Edeen Qouqazeh, 27, was charged with murder in the Dec. 8 death of his father, Mohammad Qouqazeh, 59. In court filings, prosecutors said Alaa Edeen Qouqazeh thought his father was poisoning him and using “dark magic” against him.

Calumet City had no homicides reported for 2025. The Daily Southtown previously reported that it had eight in 2024, and six in 2023.

According to the medical examiner’s office, 73% of Cook County homicide victims last year were Black, and 18% were Latino. 83% were men.

elewis@chicagotribune.com