Homicides in Last 3 Months Nearly Half the Amount of Murders in First 6 Months of 2019

By D.C. Witness Staff - October 23, 2019
Featured | Homicides | Infographics |

Gun-related homicides from July 1 to Sept. 30 totaled nearly half of the number of homicides that occurred in the first half of the year. 

According to D.C. Witness data, there were 61 gun-related homicides from Jan. 1 to June 30. There were 41 homicides from July 1 to Sept. 30.

During the first three months of 2019, there were 28 gun-related homicides in DC, according to D.C. Witness data. From April to June, gun-related homicides increased to 34. 

There have been 52 homicides in total from July to September, according to D. C. Witness data. In July there were 20 homicides, 18 of which were gun related; August had 17 homicides, nine of which were gun related; and there were 15 homicides in September, 14 were gun related.

In an effort to reduce gun-related crime, the Metropolitan Police Department collected 425 guns from July to September. There were 160 recoveries in July, 140 in August and 145 in September.  

Of the four quadrants in the district, Southeast and Northeast had the most gun recoveries. Police recovered 184 guns in Southeast, DC; 118 guns in Northeast and 11 guns in Southwest. Northwest had the least amount of recoveries, resulting in only six firearms.

D.C. Witness previously reported, the police department collected 333 firearms from April 1 to June 30. The department collected 448 firearms were collected from Jan. 1 through March 31.

The DC Council passed a law that temporarily seizes guns, the red flag law, in December of 2018.The law is being used as a broader gun control package, reported the Washington City Paper.

The law allows residents to report a person, who they believe is a danger to themselves or others and are in possession of one or more firearms. The police are then able to confiscate the firearms from that individual for a temporary time frame.  

Eighteen states have implemented the red flag law, including California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.