The social costs of gun violence in Chicago total about $2.5 billion each year, says a study quoted by the Chicago Tribune. "Gun Violence among School- Age Youth in Chicago," the first report from the University of Chicago Crime Lab, used interviews, focus groups, police data, and social research to characterize factors underlying Chicago's escalating murder rate.
Expanding on research that every crime-related gunshot wound causes around $1 million in social costs, the report's calculated the annual cost of gun violence at $2.5 billion, or $2,500 per Chicago household. The cost reflects in part the effect of violence upon city populations, pushing more people into outlying communities, said Crime Lab director Jens Ludwig.
