Homicides in Denver were up nearly 50% in the last year vs 2003, with 94 murders reported. Denver is famously unfriendly to gun ownership, and it looks like our unarmed populace is finding other means of destruction. That's right, over half the murders did not involve handguns, according to the Denver Post.
Police are at a loss to explain the sudden increase in the murder rate:
There is no common thread, such as gangs, drugs or handgun violence, that can explain the increase, police say.By contrast, 63 people were killed in Denver last year.
"We've had a lot of stuff this year that you don't even get in movie scripts," said Denver homicide Chief David Fisher.
This year, fewer than half of the homicides involved handguns.
Only 15 percent were gang-related. Eight people died in domestic homicides.
Eight homeless people were targets. Fourteen women were considered murder suspects. A grandfather is suspected of shooting his grandson. A brother is accused of stabbing his brother. In just one month, three dead babies were found discarded as trash.
Statistics can be funny things.
Posted by Walter at January 1, 2005 01:02 PM