After CPS Closed Schools, Buildings Sat Empty — And Gun Violence Rose, Study Finds

A study found a 10% increase in gun violence in Chicago neighborhoods surrounding vacant former public schools closed in 2013, particularly in majority-Black areas. Matthew Henson Elementary School in North Lawndale, now owned by MKB Business Strategies, is among 50 closed schools, most of which remained vacant despite a 2017 city goal to address them.