Data Source: Firearms Tracing System
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
Contents
- ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer
- Table: Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced in Chicago, IL in Calendar Year 2019
- Table: Firearm Types with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Table: Top Calibers/Types Reported on Firearm Traces with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Table: Top Source States for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics
ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer
Firearm traces are designed to assist law enforcement authorities in conducting investigations by tracking the sale and possession of specific firearms. Law enforcement agencies may request firearms traces for any reason, and those reasons are not necessarily reported to the federal government. Not all firearms used in crime are traced and not all firearms traced are used in crime.
Firearms selected for tracing are not chosen for purposes of determining which types, makes or models of firearms are used for illicit purposes. The firearms selected do not constitute a random sample and should not be considered representative of the larger universe of all firearms used by criminals, or any subset of that universe. Firearms are normally traced to the first retail seller, and sources reported for firearms traced do not necessarily represent the sources or methods by which firearms in general are acquired for use in crime.
Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced in Chicago, IL in Calendar Year 2019
Firearm Types with a Chicago, IL Recovery
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
| Pistols | 6,547 |
|---|---|
| Revolvers | 908 |
| Machineguns | 358 |
| Rifles | 305 |
| Other* | 267 |
* Other includes Shotguns, Derringers, Unknown Types, Receivers/Frames and an Any Other Weapon.
Top Calibers/Types Reported on Firearm Traces with a Chicago, IL Recovery
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
| 9mm Pistol | 3,453 |
|---|---|
| .40 Cal Pistol | 1,234 |
| .45 Cal Pistol | 652 |
| .380 Cal Pistol | 623 |
| .38 Cal Revolver | 437 |
| .22 Cal Pistol | 204 |
| .357 Cal Revolver | 174 |
| .25 Cal Pistol | 159 |
| 12GA Shotgun | 148 |
NOTE: There were 908 additional traces that were associated with other calibers/types. There were 393 traces with an unknown caliber.
Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Chicago, IL Recovery
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
| Possession of Weapon | 3,209 |
|---|---|
| Firearm Under Investigation | 1,970 |
| Weapon Offense | 1,714 |
| Found Firearm | 718 |
| Dangerous Drugs | 337 |
| Aggravated Assault | 130 |
| Family Offense | 57 |
| Robbery | 45 |
| Firing Weapon | 38 |
| Homicide | 38 |
| Property Crimes | 21 |
NOTE: There were 108 additional traces that were associated with other categories.
Top Source States for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
| Illinois | 2,826 |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1,390 |
| Wisconsin | 288 |
| Mississippi | 207 |
| Kentucky | 172 |
| Tennessee | 153 |
| Georgia | 142 |
| Ohio | 137 |
| Texas | 116 |
| Alabama | 110 |
NOTE: An additional 38 states and Puerto Rico accounted for 782 other traces. The source state was identified in 6,323 total traces.
Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
| Under 3 Months | 394 |
|---|---|
| 3 Months to Under 7 Months | 406 |
| 7 Months to Under 1 Year | 436 |
| 1 Year to Under 2 Years | 850 |
| 2 Years to Under 3 Years | 720 |
| 3 Years and Over | 3,439 |
1/1/2019-12/31/2019 Chicago, IL Average Time-to-Crime: 7.58 Years
1/1/2019-12/31/2019 National Average Time-to-Crime: 8.29 Years
Age of Possessors for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
| 17 and Under | 434 |
|---|---|
| 18 to 21 | 968 |
| 22 to 24 | 829 |
| 25 to 30 | 1,401 |
| 31 to 40 | 958 |
| 41 to 50 | 368 |
| Over 50 | 267 |
1/1/2019-12/31/2019 Chicago, IL Average Age of Possessor: 29 Years
1/1/2019-12/31/2019 National Average Age of Possessor: 35 Years
Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics
Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced
- Includes traces with a recovery city of Chicago, IL. Traces in which the recovery city was not provided were included when the requesting agency was the Chicago Police Department.
- Includes Firearms Recovered and Traced between 1/1/2019 – 12/31/2019 or, if the recovery date was blank, firearms with trace entry dates between 1/1/2019 – 12/31/2019.
- Duplicate traces, Firearms Not Recovered, Gun Buyback and Firearms Turned In are not included in this figure.
- Data was extracted from the Firearms Tracing System (FTS) on June 22, 2021.
- All traces may not have been submitted or completed at the time of this study.
Firearm Types and Top Calibers/Types with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
Top Source States for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
- Traces must identify a purchaser and the state in which the final dealer is located.
Time-to-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
- Traces must identify a purchaser.
- Time-to-Crime was calculated for those traces in which the purchase date could be subtracted from the recovery date.
Age of Possessors for Firearms with a Chicago, IL Recovery
- Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
- Includes traces that provide a possessor and the possessor’s date of birth.
- Possessor’s age is calculated by subtracting the possessor’s date of birth from the recovery date.