New York City reports 77% increase in shootings, compared to same time last year

New York City is reporting that shootings are up 77%, compared to the same time last year, following a similar trend of increased gun violence across the United States.

As of Tuesday, there were 573 shootings leaving 652 victims in the city, compared to 323 shootings with 366 victims this time last year, according to ABC News.

"A lot of the time you have individuals shooting at other individuals that are known," New York Police Department  Commissioner Dermot Shea told local station NY1. "But as the tide rises, you start to see more and more innocent people getting shot, too."

New York is not alone in its rise in gun violence over the past year. Murders and shootings rose by 50% in Chicago in 2020. That same year, police recorded 3,261 shootings, up from 2019's 2,140 recorded shootings, according to ABC7.

Overall, there have been 8,100 people killed by gun violence in 2021, with this year on track to match or exceed previous years' gun-violence rates. In 2020, the U.S. recorded 19,000 killed by guns, a significant increase from the 15,000 in 2019, ABC also reports.