What Time Do Most DC Homicides Occur?

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 4, 2019
Court | Featured | Homicides | Infographics | Suspects | Traffic | Victims |

At what time do most homicides occur in Washington, DC?

D.C. Witness data shows that there have been 733 homicides in DC from Jan. 1, 2015, to Oct. 1. Of those homicides, 57 homicides occurred during the 9 p.m. hour from Jan. 1, 2015, to Oct. 1.

Overall, D.C. Witness data shows that the evening hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. have been a deadly time in the city. According to the data, there have been 55 homicides during the 8 p.m. hour and 53 homicides during the 10 p.m. hour.

In addition to the evening’s deadly trend, D.C. Witness data shows that 52 percent of the homicides within the nearly five-year timespan have taken place during the hours of 7 p.m. and 3 a.m.

According to the data, 720 homicides, out of the 733 homicides, have time data available. Of those homicides with a time stamp, 383 occurred between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. 

The lowest number of homicides occurred during the 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. hours.

In addition to the number of homicides in DC, there have been 22 vehicular homicides from Jan. 1, 2015, to Oct. 1, according to the data. Similar to more violent types of homicides, such as shootings, stabbings and assaults, a majority of the vehicular homicides, 17, also took place between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Only four of the vehicular homicides took place between normal business hours — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two killings took place on the weekend, including the death of 51-year-old Sherron Pressley on Aug. 30, 2018, and David Salovesh, 54, on April 19.

Markel Ford, the driver who hit Pressley and another pedestrian who survived, is scheduled for a felony status conference on Dec. 11. Court documents state that Ford drove away from the scene. He is charged with voluntary manslaughter. Ford, 20, is currently released on personal recognizance. According to DC Courts, counsel is working on a plea deal.

The driver, Robert Earl Little Jr., who hit Salovesh while he was riding his bicycle, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in July. He was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison in September. 

Both cases involved a vehicle traveling at a high speed. According to police documents, Little, 26, had traces of PCP in his blood. 

According to D.C. Witness data, the pattern of “vehicle and pedestrian fatalities” is similar to that of vehicular homicides. There have been 87 total fatalities between Jan. 1, 2015, and Oct. 1. Eighty-two of the cases have time data available. Of those fatalities, 72 percent (59 fatalities) took place between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m.

“Fatalities” refer to deaths caused by a vehicle in which there were no charges.  

Eighteen percent (15 deaths) of the traffic fatalities included a victim who was operating a vehicle other than a car, such as a motorcycle, bicycle, dirt bike or scooter.

Three of seven fatalities during the 3 a.m. hour were the result of a single crash, including Antonio Holroyd, who lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a grass island and guard rail killing both him and his two passengers on Jan. 19, 2017. The crash took place at approximately 3:15 a.m. 

Paul Mulholland wrote this article.