This is a list of homicides in Illinois. This list includes notable homicides committed in the U.S. state of Illinois that have a Wikipedia article on the killing, the killer, or the victim. It is divided into five subject areas as follows: Multiple homicides – homicides having multiple victims. It includes incidents such as the 1886 Haymarket affair, the 1966 murder of six student nurses by Richard Speck, and the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders Serial killers – persons who murder three or more persons, with the incidents taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. This includes John Wayne Gacy, the most prolific serial killer in Illinois history. Organized crime – notable homicides involving the Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago. These include the 1929 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre and the 1975 murder of Sam Giancana. Lynchings and race riots – homicides associated with lynching and race riots. These include the 1844 Killing of Joseph Smith and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Single homicides – notable homicides involving a single fatality which do not fall within the scope of one of the above categories. These incidents include the 1924 murder of Bobby Franks by Leopold and Loeb.
This article does not include military battles fought in Illinois. Such battles, including battles fought during the Black Hawk War, may be found at List of battles fought in Illinois.
This article also does not include people who have been executed in Illinois. Such persons are listed separately at List of people executed in Illinois.
Multiple homicides Listed in chronological order Incident Location Date Deaths Description SourcesLively massacreWashington County18133Native Americans killed John Lively, his wife and their childrenIndian Creek massacreLaSalle County1832-05-2115Attack by Native Americans on white settlers after settlers built a dam that prevented fish from reaching Potawatomi villageScanlan, Charles Martin. Indian Creek Massacre and Captivity of Hall Girls. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: REIC Publishing, 1915. Stevens, Frank E. The Black Hawk War: Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life. Chicago, 1903.St. Vrain massacrePearl City1832-05-244White Indian agent and three companions killed in an attack by Native AmericansCharleston riotCharleston1864-03-289Clash between Union soldiers and Republicans, on one side, and Democrats known as Copperheads, on other sideHaymarket affairChicago1886-05-0411Rally in support of eight-hour work day, including protester throwing dynamite bomb at police and police opening fire on protestersBattle of VirdenVirden1898-10-1213Labor union and racial conflict during a strike by the United Mine WorkersPana riotPana1899-04-107Coal mining labor dispute and racial conflict, part of the Illinois coal warsMarrazzo massacreChicago1918-10-215Peter Marrazzo killed his wife and 4 children during the height of the Spanish flu pandemic. He was committed to a mental hospital but released after only 2 years.Herrin massacreHerrin1922-06-21/2223Labor violence during coal strike 1937 Memorial Day massacreChicago1937-05-3010Chicago police shot and killed 10 unarmed demonstrators during Little Steel strikeJames MorelliChicago1947-12-123Mad Dog killingsMurder of the Grimes sistersChicago1956-12-282Sisters ages 12 and 15 disappeared returning home from movie theater, bodies discovered three weeks laterThe Two Lost Girls: The Mystery of the Grimes Sisters p. 11Chester WegerStarved Rock State Park1960-033Murdered three middle-aged women, wives of prominent Chicago businessmenRichard SpeckChicago1966-07-138Murdered eight student nurses in their Chicago residenceSimon NelsonRockford1978-01-076Rockford man killed his six children (ages 3 to 12) and the family dogLatin Kings murdersChicago1979-02-253Three teenagers were found with their throats slashed in a car in Chicago. They were murdered after asking Latin Kings members where they could buy marijuana.Kenneth AllenChicago1979-03-032Convicted of killing two Chicago police officersChicago Tylenol murdersChicago19827Poisoning deaths resulting from placing potassium cyanide in Tylenol capsules in Chicago metropolitan areaCharles WalkerSt. Clair County1983-06-182Murdered a young couple after robbing them, later executedDardeen family homicidesIna1987-11-174Family murdered in mobile homeMurder of Nick CorwinWinnetka1988-05-202Mentally ill woman shot eight-year-old boy at elementary school and then committed suicide1988 Chicago shootingsChicago1988-09-225Spree shooting at an auto parts store and Moses Montefiore AcademyJeffrey and Jill EricksonChicago 4Bank robber killed a marshall and a police detective, then committed suicideGreen, Michelle (March 2, 1992) "Bloody Ending to a Double Life", People. Retrieved March 4, 2020.Harrison, Eric (July 21, 1992) "3 Die in Chicago Courthouse Shooting: Violence: A Bank Robbery Suspect Grabs a Gun and Kills Two Guards and Himself. It is the Latest in a Series of Attacks in the Nation's Halls of Justice", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2020.Michael Alfonso 1992, 20012Committed two murders, listed on FBI's Ten Most Wanted listBrown's Chicken massacrePalatine1993-01-087Two robbers killed seven employees at a fast-food restaurantMark WingerSpringfield1995-08-292Former nuclear power plant technician murdered his wife and a van driver1999 Independence Day weekend shootingsIllinois, Indiana1999-07-043White supremacist wounded nine Orthodox Jews2003 Chicago warehouse shootingChicago2003-08-277Salvador Tapia attacks his former workplace with a pistol before getting slain by policehttps://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/08/27/chicago.shooting/index.htmlJorge Avila-TorrezZion2005-053Killed two girls, ages 8 and 9, on Mother's DayLane Bryant shootingTinley Park2008-02-025Mass murder and armed robbery at clothing outletNorthern Illinois University shootingDeKalb2008-02-146Mass shooting on a crowd of studentsMurder of Jason HudsonChicago2008-10-242Brother and mother of singer Jennifer Hudson shot at their homeGage Park murdersChicago2016-02-026Six members of Martinez family murdered in house in Gage Park, ChicagoDuck Walk KillerChicago20182Unsolved spree killing in Rogers Park neighborhoodMercy Hospital shootingChicago2018-11-194Mass shooting at hospitalAurora, Illinois shootingAurora2019-02-156Mass shooting at Henry Pratt Company2019 Goodfield arsonGoodfield2019-04-065Arson fire in mobile home started by nine-year-old boyDon Carter Bowling Alley ShootingRockford2020-26-123An active duty soldier shot-up a bowling alley2021 Chicago - Evanston shootingsChicago and Evanston2021-01-096Random shooting spreeMagnificent Mile shootingChicago2022-05-192Mass shooting in shopping districtHighland Park parade shootingHighland Park2022-07-047Mass shooting at Independence Day parade, also 48 woundedDeath of Sania KhanChicago2022-07-182Man shot estranged wife after she posted about divorce experience on TikTok, then committed suicide2024 Joliet shootingsPreston Heights & Joliet2024-01-218Man opened fire at multiple locations, killing seven family members and an unrelated victim2025 Chicago shootingChicago2025-07-024Mass drive by shooting outside of a nightclub in River North, 4 killed, 14 injured, perpetrator still at large
Serial killers Listed in chronological order by date of earliest homicide Incident Location Date Deaths Description SourcesJohann Otto HochChicago1890–19051–50+Also known as "The Bluebeard Murderer"H. H. HolmesMultiple1891–1894 Con artist and serial killer executed in 1896Robert Nixon California, Illinois1937–1938 3–5Serial killer, basis for Bigger Thomas in Native SonJohn AgrueIllinois, Colorado1966–19823+Serial killer whose first murder in 1966 was of his sister-in-law in Joliet, IllinoisJohn Wayne GacyNorwood Park1972–197833–45Serial killer and rapist, also known as the "Killer Clown", who killed at least 33 young men and boysKiller Clown: The True Story of John Wayne Gacy, by Aimee Baxter. The Chicago Killer: The Hunt for Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy, by Joseph R. and Karen M. Kozenczak. Robert Ben RhoadesTexas, Illinois1975–19903–50+Serial killer and rapist known as "The Truck Stop Killer"Charles AlbaneseMcHenry1980–19813Serial killer who poisoned three relatives with arsenicRipper CrewIllinois1981–198218Satanic cult and organized crime group composed of serial killers, cannibals, rapists, and necrophiles Robin Gecht and three associatesLarry EylerMultiple1982–198421–24Known as the "Interstate Killer", he murdered at least 21 teenage boys and young men throughout the MidwestAndrew UrdialesIllinois, Indiana, California1986–19968Murdered three of his victims in IllinoisDorothy WilliamsIllinois1987–19893Killed three elderly people during robberiesJeffrey DahmerChicago, Milwaukee199117Dahmer met two of his victims (Matt Turner and Jeremiah Weinberger) in Chicago and paid them to go with him to Milwaukee where he murdered themSouthside StranglerChicago1990s–2000s?Suspected serial killer; responsibility later established to different offendersAndre CrawfordChicago1993–199911Murdered 11 women, many of them drug addicts and sex workers, in ChicagoRonald HintonChicago1996–19993Raped and strangled three women in Rogers Park neighborhoodKevin TaylorChicago20014Strangled four prostitutesChicago StranglerChicago2001–2018?Unconfirmed serial killer, or serial killers, believed to be responsible for the deaths of a number of women in Chicago
Organized crime