Baltimore breaks city record for killings per capita in 2019

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore broke its annual per capita homicide record after reaching 342 killings Friday.

With just over 600,000 residents, the city hit a historically high homicide rate of about 57 per 100,000 people after recent relentless gunfire saw eight people shot — three fatally — in one day and nine others — one fatally — another day.

The new rate eclipses that of 1993, when the city had a record 353 killings but was much more populous before years of population exodus.

By contrast, New York City, with more than 8 million residents, had 306 homicides through Dec. 15.