The city of Minneapolis came close to setting a new homicide record in 2021.
This past year saw 96 recorded homicides, one shy of the all-time record set in 1995, when the city was bestowed with the nickname of “Murderapolis.”
In 2021 Minneapolis had once been on pace to reach 100 homicides, but it fell a few short of that ignominious figure.
Although 2020 saw a 75% increase in homicides from 2019, the city’s homicide rate in 2021 was 14% higher than 2020.
That year 84 people were killed in Minneapolis — but in 2021, the city recorded its 85th and 86th homicides by early November.
As for St. Paul, the city set a new homicide record on Dec. 2, when a 50-year-old man stabbed a 27-year-old man over a parking dispute outside the former’s home.
“These murders have enormous consequences, including the tragic death of several of Minnesota’s children, and other innocent victims,” former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said this past year.
“Liberal elite politicians at the state capitol, including Gov. Tim Walz, have ignored pleas from community leaders to protect their families and neighborhoods, and support public safety. When will Minnesota leaders make our safety their priority?” he asks.
One of the children tragically killed in Minneapolis was six-year-old Aniya Allen, who was shot on May 17 near 36th and Penn Ave. Her grandfather, K.G. Wilson, spoke to KARE on how he is still seeking justice for her.
“Here we are about to go into a new year with no justice,” he told the station. “I channeled my anger and my hurt and my pain into doing a toy drive called Aniya’s Toys and so we gave out about $40,000 worth of toys to the children in north Minneapolis for Christmas.”
“My gift that I wanted was for the killer to turn himself in or somebody who knows the killer, knows what they did, to turn themselves in and it didn’t happen,” he added.
Evan Stambaugh
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
