CHICAGO – When the city’s gang war intensified last spring, shootings became so frequent they sometimes seemed like a ghastly game of tennis, with each senseless attack followed by a vengeful response.

The furious rate of the killing drew national attention and even invited comparisons between Chicago and some of the world’s war zones.

But a closer look shows something else: The pace of homicides and shootings has slowed considerably as police step up their presence and residents challenge gang members for control of the streets. In at least one of the city’s most notoriously dangerous neighborhoods, homicides have actually fallen.