Chicago’s murderous culture remains relentless, with more than 1,500 people shot so far this year, a figure that combines 276 deaths and 1,224 non-fatal cases reported by the Chicago Sun-Times as of October 4. That count pushed even higher over the following days, as additional shootings added to the total by October 6. Weekend reports alone detailed at least 30 victims, including five who died, across the city.
CBS News tracked nine separate incidents on Sunday, October 5, and two more early Monday, October 6, resulting in 13 people hit by gunfire and one fatality. These events follow a pattern seen throughout 2025, where weekly police data showed shootings surpassing 1,100 by late September.
City data portals and police reports confirm the scale of the problem, with homicides and non-fatal shootings logged in real time. Even as some sources note declines in overall crime compared to prior years—such as a 15% drop from 2023— the raw numbers of shooting victims tell of persistent danger on the streets. Summer 2025 marked the lowest homicide count in six decades, according to WBEZ analysis, yet over 1,200 people had been shot by early September, per independent tracking. Incidents range from mass drive-by attacks, like the July 2 event in River North that injured multiple victims, to everyday domestic and street confrontations.
President Trump has pushed for federal intervention, including National Guard deployment, to curb the bloodshed in Democrat-controlled cities like Chicago. Local leaders, however, have rebuffed these efforts.
Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the idea directly: “If President Trump wants to help make Chicago safer, he can start by releasing the funds for anti-violence programs that have been critical to our work to drive down crime and violence.”
Johnson dismissed broader federal troop involvement as ineffective. He added, “He is provoking on sending federal troops, the National Guard, into cities to plunder them, though those entities do not have policing power. They can’t even do the very thing that he claims that he wants them to do.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker echoed this stance during a news conference, refusing to request troops despite Trump’s insistence.
“I’m aware that the President of the United States likes to go on television and beg me to call and ask him for troops,” Pritzker said. “I find this extraordinarily strange as Chicago does not want troops on our streets. I refuse to play a reality game show.”
This resistance comes amid broader Democratic opposition to Trump’s crackdown on urban crime, with groups like Live Free Illinois working to counter federal assistance.
Not all voices align with city hall. Activist Zoe Leigh, founder of Chicago Flips Red, called out officials for prioritizing politics over safety.
“My mother’s originally from Chicago, and the fact of seeing seniors getting killed, our children getting killed, mothers getting killed, young men getting killed, and we are not getting any help at all… it’s starting to become normalized and that is not normal,” she said.
Leigh targeted what she described as the city’s “progressive Democratic gang” for turning down federal resources, arguing that the ongoing deaths demand action beyond local efforts.
Indoctrination
Despite the unambiguous needs for federal assistance in communities that have been failed by local governments, the pushback persists. As JD Rucker noted on a recent Substack, “Leftists Still Need to Be Told What’s Best for Them.”
Residents in high-violence areas offer mixed views. In Parkway Gardens, known as one of the city’s toughest blocks, Anthony Carter, a lifelong resident and community worker, emphasized self-reliance: “It’s within us to stop the violence. President Trump couldn’t do nothing about that.” Carter noted the significance of local opposition: “When you got neighbors in the worst community in the world saying that they don’t want the federal guards to come, that’s got to be something.” Darell McCoy, another resident, rejected Trump’s involvement outright: “Ain’t nobody begging for that man to come nowhere. They’re begging for him to leave and get out of the presidency.”
Younger voices share similar doubts. Student Charles Pierce, 17, worried about escalating tensions: “We need help, but not that type of help. A lot of us already don’t trust police as it is. So if military people come in, that’d make it worse, because they’re in the military, and all they do is kill.” Miracle Davis, 16, predicted backlash: “It’s not going to turn the violence down; it’s going to bring it back up.” Earnestine Gardner, an 81-year-old longtime resident, foresaw complications: “It’d be a lot of problems.”
As shootings continue to mount, the divide over federal aid leaves Chicago’s safety in limbo, with community programs clashing against calls for stronger intervention.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.