Murder Capitol

The murder rate in Chicago, which led all U.S. cities in homicides in both 2001 and 2003, has declined slightly during the last four years. The city’s rate remains nearly three times the rate in New York but lower than the rate in other large cities in the Midwest. Of cities with a population of 100,000 or more, Gary, Ind., had the highest murder rate in the country, while Madison, Wis., was among those with the lowest rates.