On December 18, 2016, Joel Planas, a 34-year-old man from Chicago, was fatally shot during an altercation. The incident occurred in the early morning hours, just before 1 a.m., on a sidewalk where Planas was engaged in a fight with another individual. During the altercation, Planas was shot in the abdomen, which ultimately led to his death. This shooting marked the end of a brief period without any fatal gun-related incidents in Chicago, a city experiencing a particularly violent year with
numerous homicides.
Despite going four consecutive days without a fatal shooting in the days leading up to Planas's death, Chicago was still facing an overall surge in violence. In 2016, the city had already reported more than 691 fatal shootings, along with over 4,200 individuals shot throughout the year. Homicides were expected to exceed 750 by the end of the year, making it the deadliest year in Chicago in almost two decades. This spike in violence contrasted with an earlier record set in April 2016, when the city experienced just over 81 hours without a single fatal gun incident.
