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Minneapolis homicides at higher point this year than same time last year

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Published  September 8, 2024 7:59am CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9

A closer look at Minneapolis homicide statistics

Minneapolis crime statistics show there have been more homicides this year than there were at the same point in 2023.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A series of shootings across Minneapolis over the last week left five people dead and pushed up the number of homicides to a higher point than they were at the same time last year.

What we know

The spate of deadly shootings, which started on Saturday and continued through Wednesday night, frustrated city leaders and prompted community activists to call for more resources to curb the violence.

There have been 55 homicides in the city this year, slightly more than the 53 there were at this point a year ago, according to Minneapolis police data.

Homicides surged by more than 60 percent in 2020, continued to climb in 2021 and fell in both 2022 and 2023, according to the data.  During that time frame, homicides peaked at 102 in 2022.

What they're saying

"The last couple of weeks have been problematic," said Mayor Jacob Frey. "The kind of loss of life, especially that we’ve seen over the last week through shootings — it’s completely unacceptable."

Some said they have been desensitized to the regular violence.

"I’ve grown immune to it," said Johnnie Rutherford, a lifelong resident. "As soon as I saw it [Saturday’s non-fatal officer-involved shooting], I just kept walking. It’s an everyday thing. Every single day."

Community activists pointed out that stemming the violence requires tackling many underlying issues, including homelessness and addiction.

"We need to see more treatment facilities in the community. We need to see more housing programs," said Muhammad Abdul-Ahad of T.O.U.C.H Outreach, a community advocacy group. "A lot of these incidents have happened outside of some of the times that the outreach teams are out here in the community canvassing."

What the numbers mean

Over the last five years, every time the number of homicides was higher at this point in the summer, the year ended with an uptick in cases. If that were to happen again, the number of homicides would increase for the first time in three years.