It's important to keep in mind that the violence is far reduced from decades ago when homicides sometimes exceeded 900 in a year. But what continues to be troubling is the fact that Chicago's level of violence far outpaces New York and Los Angeles, both more populous. The two had comparable numbers through about Jan. 23 — some 60 shot or injured, 20 of them fatally, according to the most recent numbers provided. By comparison, at that point, some 210 people had been shot or injured in Chicago, at least 33 of them fatally.