Keep in mind, Gary is not a huge city.
In 1960, when the mills were still moving, the population of Gary, Indiana was 178,000.
The city's decline is attributed to factors like the decline of the steel industry, job losses (1980s recession hit hard), and suburbanization.
In 2023, the estimated population was 67,652.
Crime rates in Gary, Indiana, are 30% higher than the national average. In 1995, Gary had 129 murders, the highest murder rate per capita in the U.S., alongside over 3,000 reported crimes. In 2023, the city reported 325 violent crimes (4.78 per 1,000 residents) and 2,121 property crimes (31.20 per 1,000 residents).
In the past, Gary, Indiana was referred to as the "murder capital" of the United States due to its high homicide rate. Specifically, in 1994, the Chicago Tribune declared Gary as the murder capital, with a homicide rate almost nine times the national level. While the city has made progress in reducing violent crime, including a 23% drop in homicides in 2023, the historical reputation and the impact of the high crime rates remain significant, according to the Gary Police Department and reports from The University of Chicago Magazine
Keep in mind, as per above, crime rate dropped with the population. Most of it is vacant abandoned homes and buildings, or bulldozed, some parts are still within decent. Not every inch of Gary is nuts, but most trying to revive it will be in some denial.
Gary, Indiana was involved in a lawsuit against gun manufacturers, which is now the last one still active. The city's lawsuit, initiated in 1999, is seeking to address the gun violence it has faced, particularly in the 1990s when it was known as the "murder capital". This legal battle against gun manufacturers and retailers is currently the only remaining case of its kind in the nation
