Lake County, IL – In a significant step toward understanding and preventing gun violence, Lake County has unveiled the Firearm Fatality Dashboard. The Dashboard is a tool designed to provide residents, government partners, and organizations with the most recent data on firearm fatalities across the county. This data collection and public education program is part of the broader Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI)’s work to identify trends, to effectively allocate resources, and to broaden the community conversation about ending gun violence. 

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated, “Everyone deserves to be safe in their community. Gun violence is measurable and preventable. As a community and as a democracy, we should have accurate, up-to-date gun violence information available at our fingertips. This dashboard is a vital tool to give us that information quickly so that we help others and have meaningful community conversations about how to save lives.”

Between 2022 and 2024, there was a 73% decrease in firearm homicides, a 55% decrease from 2022-2023 and an additional 18% in 2023-2024. In the most impacted communities in Lake County; Waukegan, Zion, and North Chicago there was a 31% decrease in firearm homicides from 2023 to 2024.

The Firearm Fatality Dashboard uniquely focuses on all deaths involving firearms, including homicides, suicides, unintentional deaths, and undetermined fatalities. This comprehensive approach allows for a more accurate and holistic understanding of gun violence trends in Lake County. The dashboard will allow police, healthcare officials, elected leaders, and community organizations to determine which programs are working and which communities need increased interventions.  

Key features of the dashboard include: 

• Demographic Filters: Users can examine data based on gender, race, ethnicity, age range, firearm fatality type, and municipality, providing a deeper understanding of how gun violence impacts various communities. 

• Time-based Filters: Data can be filtered by month and day, offering both macro and micro-level insights into when firearm fatalities are occurring. 

• Real-time, Accurate Data: The dashboard is updated weekly by the Lake County Coroner's Office to ensure the most current data is available to the public. 

The creation of the dashboard was a collaborative effort between the Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative, the Lake County GIS team, and the Lake County Coroner’s Office. The data was built using the industry-standard GIS technology from the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). 

Prior to this initiative, data on firearm fatalities in Lake County was not readily accessible to the public, leading to confusion and a lack of understanding about the scope of gun violence. This new dashboard is an innovative approach to ensure transparency and empower residents to understand how firearm violence may impact their community. Residents can now access reliable and timely information to better grasp the impact of gun violence in their communities. 

The dashboard, which covers data from 2020 to the present, will continue to be updated weekly by the Coroner’s Office to maintain accuracy and timeliness. Eventually, non-fatal shootings and other major gun crimes will be added to the dashboard. Data provided by law enforcement agencies show that between 2022 and 2024, Waukegan, Zion, and North Chicago saw a 63% decrease in non-fatal shootings.

In 2024, State’s Attorney Rinehart worked with Illinois Senator Mary Edly-Allen and Illinois Representative Daniel Didech to enact Public Act 103-0798, This law creates the Illinois Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force which begins the work of collecting and publicizing crime statistics from all Illinois police agencies without regard to the lengthy U.S Department of Justice process which takes up to 18 months.  

The Lake County State's Attorney’s Office acknowledges the invaluable collaboration of Lake County Coroner Banek, Chief Deputy Steve Newton, and their team for their dedication to this project. 

About the Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative 

The Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative is committed to reducing gun violence across the county through strategic data collection, resource allocation, and community engagement. The initiative works in close partnership with residents, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations to develop innovative and urgent strategies to end gun violence in Lake County.