Minneapolis reached a grim total over the weekend of 80 homicides so far this year, with just over a week to go in the year.
The latest was a 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Minneapolis early Sunday morning, marking the city’s 80th homicide to date.
According to a press release by the Minneapolis Police Department, the boy was dropped off at the hospital early Sunday morning with gunshot injuries that proved to be fatal.
Police were dispatched to the 3200 block of Aldrich Avenue North around 3 a.m. Sunday following Shotspotter activations and reports of shots fired, according to police dispatch audio. Upon arrival they found an open door to a residence and a bloody scene inside a vacant unit. A victim was not located at the scene but was dropped off at the hospital a short time later.
The Medical Examiner identified the boy on Tuesday as Amari’on Jarae Johnson.
An interactive map of this year’s Minneapolis homicides has been compiled by Crime Watch Minneapolis. The visualization shows most of the homicides occurring in south Minneapolis, east of 35W, and in north Minneapolis – the 3rd and 4th police precincts, respectively.
80 Minneapolis homicides to date. See our interactive map.
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The homicide totals to date in Minneapolis include sixty-five shootings, six deaths by “sharp force injuries” (stabbing, etc.), and nine by other means including blunt force trauma, criminal vehicular homicide, and, in one case, the scalding and drowning of a two-year-old in a bathtub.
The city’s homicide “clearance rate” to date is 41%, according to an email response by John Elder, Director of Police information for the City of Minneapolis. The clearance rate is based on the number of cases where charges have been filed within total number of cases. Elder said the MPD’s clearance rate numbers usually average in the mid-60% range, but explained that the number is lower now due to the higher number of cases currently under investigation.
Statistics released in November by the MPD detailed an alarming rise in violent crimes across the city this year, including a 97% increase in homicides citywide over the prior four year average. The report noted that over 500 people have been shot in the city and there have been over 8,900 shooting-related incidents this year, an increase of over 116% over last year.
There were 48 homicides in Minneapolis in all of 2019 and 32 in 2018.
Across the river, St. Paul recorded its 33rd homicide of the year on Monday evening. St. Paul ended 2019 with 30 homicides, which was double the number from 2018 of 15.
Late update: Just before 1 a.m. Wednesday there was another fatal shooting confirmed as a homicide on the 2000 block of 28th Avenue South, bringing the year-to-date total to 81.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
