2019 Ties For Second Deadliest Year In Baltimore: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — After four more people lost their lives following a deadly holiday week in Baltimore, the number of homicides in the city rose to 342, matching the second deadliest year on record, according to reports.

The killings — which this week included a mother shot in front of her kids at an East Side deli and a baby believed to be shaken to death — contributed to a grim year for homicides in Baltimore. According to the Baltimore Sun, the city saw 57 killings per 100,000 people this year.

The city saw only one year where more people lost their lives to homicide, the report says. In 1993, 353 people were killed; however, the city's population was larger that year, meaning the city saw 47 killings per 100,000 people.

Last week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan met with Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, a visit that came after the governor unveiled new initiatives and legislation to address violent crime in the city, including $21 million in additional funding for the city and State's Attorney's Office.

"I want to break down the silos and provide all the assistance and backup and support we can, because all of us want to do whatever we can to make the city safer," Hogan told FOX 45. "We just want to see the shootings and the murders stopped in the city."

Nearly a third of homicides this year happened in the least populous police districts: eastern and western. According to the Baltimore Sun, those neighborhoods have been hit hardest by drugs and poverty.

Citywide, another 766 people were shot this year and survived — a 14 percent increase over last year.

Last year, Baltimore recorded its 300th homicide on Dec. 20. This year, the city surpassed that number in November, prompting Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott to call for action.

"As a city, we carry that pain and that trauma," Scott said, adding they are lives, not numbers.

At every council meeting, Scott said he asks for a moment of silence for those who are lost.

"We need action now," Scott said at a news conference about the homicides. "We cannot wait any longer. This is not acceptable. This is not normal. People are losing their lives. Children are losing their lives. Seniors are losing their lives."

Since 2017, Scott said he and other members of the City Council have been asking for a comprehensive plan of action to reduce violence in Baltimore. He said the killings are not just a policing problem.

"Gun violence and violence in Baltimore is a public health issue that can only be dealt with in a comprehensive way," Scott said.

RELATED:

After 300 Homicides In Baltimore, 'We Need Action': Scott

More Than 1K People Shot Or Killed In Baltimore So Far This Year

More Than 20 Shot In 4 Days In Baltimore; Murders, Shootings Rise From 2018