As the nation’s capital sped past 200 killings for the year this week, achieving the sad milestone at the quickest rate in over a quarter of a century, Muriel Bowser (D), mayor of the area of Columbia for the third time, bemoaned a poor year for the area.
A teenager in the Northwest was shot and killed, while a guy in the Southeast was caught in the crossfire on Tuesday, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
At the site of the young victim’s murder, acting police chief Pamela Smith disclosed that eight previously unidentified deaths had been classified as murders by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, bringing the overall number of homicides for the year to 209, an increase of 35% from the 155 homicides recorded at the same time last year.
The last time the District topped 200 killings so quickly was in 1997, when 303 people were killed in the city.
The mayor said that personal conflicts are the root cause of many of the fatal shootings.
Mayor Bowser urged locals to keep an eye out for indicators of violence after seeing friends or family members embroiled in arguments at the hospital, the office, or school.
According to a report, D.C. lawmakers passed emergency legislation during the summer expanding judges’ discretion to detain juvenile and adult offenders pending trial to curb violent crime.
The interim legislation expires on October 18th, 2023.
Reports show in February that a black homeless man had attacked Representative Angie Craig (D) at her residence in Washington, DC.
Congressional member assault charges were filed against Kendrid Hamlin. Hamlin declined to enter a plea at his short public appearance in DC District Court. He was to stay in jail until his scheduled detention hearing before the court.
Hamlin may spend up to 10 years behind bars if he is found guilty.
