D.C. Has Seen a 36 Percent Spike in Homicides This Summer

Washington, D.C. has had 101 killings this year, almost more than it saw all of last year.

It's August, and early today, the number of homicides in,Washington, D.C.,reached 101, almost passing the total number of killings that occurred in the entirety of,2014. Nine of this year's murders have happened in the last eight days.

These numbers come from the Washington Post, which reports that the nation's capital has seen a 36% increase in homicides this year, even though the city's crime rate in first six months of this year was relatively low. In fact, D.C. has had two decades of "nearly falling" crime rates, the Post reports, leaving few, largely unsatisfying explanations for this summer's jump in violent crime. It seemed to catch everyone off-guard, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, who held meetings earlier this year about her plans to reduce gun violence. This is her first summer in office.

It should be noted, as the Post reports, New York City, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia all saw a rise in number of homicides by mid-July, as well as increases in gun violence. Baltimore, which at times seems like it is still reeling from the murder of Freddie Gray this spring, has seen over 200 homicides this year.,

But with schools opening on Monday, Mayor Bowser has been in the news repeatedly trying to calm the public and reiterate her position that this violence is "unacceptable." On Tuesday, Bowser visited the crime scene of a 12-year-old boy's mother who had been killed; she called it one of the saddest days of her life later that night at a community gathering.,

Mayor Bowser and her office have offered various explanations for the rise in violence: synthetic drugs (which ​seemed to explain of the more truly heinous attacks), illegal guns, the prevalence of repeat offenders on the streets. But in the media and online, many have voiced skepticism that her team has a real grasp of the situation.

awaiting Mayor Bowser on new anti-crime initiatives. pic.twitter.com/EQoO6jR9Ba
& the reporter called out mayor Bowser on comments she made while ruining on the importance of a police task force to deal w/ violent crime
You know what her response was? "That task force isn't a priority right now." Oh really?
Well, what is a priority right now when violent crime is trending +30% to LY? Let me guess, real estate development?
Watching the news Mayor Muriel Bowser on DC crime concern... Damn 3 year old girl got shot smh
94 murders in DC and its August most in SE 😪
Mayor Bowser is now changing the blame for rising crime from synthetic drugs to guns. It's like a coin toss in DC. https://t.co/Sk4c5ODdyW

For now, Mayor Bowser and D.C. police chief Cathy L. Lanier are doubling the reward for turning in illegal guns to $2,500. Bowser had also supported Lanier's idea to fill 100 police desk jobs with civilians, putting more officers on the street patrol.

[via the Washington Post]

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