Chicago is facing a surge in its homicide rate. Residents face a murder rate that, thus far this year, is worse than U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Daily pointed out in a Friday column that more Chicago residents have been killed so far this year in the city than the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan over the same period. The war zone-like statistics are not new. As WBEZ reports, while some 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Chicago during that time, based on Department of Defense and FBI data . It is the first full crisis of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s term in office, and the cause of growing national concern. More than 40 people were shot there on Memorial Day weekend alone, and 10 of them died. In June, the victims ranged in age from 75-year-old Donald Ellens to 7-year-old Heaven Sutton.