Baltimore Surpasses Number Of Murders For All Of Last Year

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's a sobering statistic. Baltimore surpasses the number of murders for all of last year, with more than four months to go. The dubious distinction comes as the mayor faces growing public criticism.

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren has more on the 211th person killed this year.

Murders have spiked since the unrest following Freddie Gray's death. The epicenter at Pennsylvania and North is just a few feet from the house where police found the latest victim, who had been shot.

With this 211th killing, Baltimore has now matched the number of murders during all of last year.

Police found the victim in a vacant home just behind the CVS seen around the world when it burned during the riots after Freddie Gray's death.

"People who are law abiding citizens, they're the ones who are frustrated with all of this. I know I've had it up to here," said Angel, a mother of five.

Angel has seen violence explode around her home in East Baltimore. A shootout sent her running for cover. You can see the bullet holes in her neighbor's window.

"My kids ran to the living room. I told them to get down because I didn't know where the bullets were flying," she said. "It's sad when you're afraid to let your kids out to play."

Less than 24 hours before, a 21-year-old man was killed just feet from her door. He was a friend of Kim Townes.

"The only ones making money are the mortuary people and the cemetery people. That's the only people that's really making money because bodies dropping every day. Two or three bodies a day," said Townes.

Blood still stains the pavement in an alley off North Conkling Street where police found her friend's body. There was no need to take him to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Things are turning around," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

The mayor touted increases in arrests and again said Baltimore is just one city facing the effects of a bloody nationwide trend.

"This violence and this total disregard for life is what we're seeing replicated in cities across our country," Mayor Rawlings-Blake said.

But Angel isn't buying it.

"It's an excuse. Not every area is exactly the same," she said. "Get me out. I want off this street. If I could get out of the city, I would go right now, but I don't have the money."

The mayor Wednesday talked about the problem of illegal guns in the city. She said retaliatory killings are also an issue. She is set to hold a crime walk at 7 p.m. in the 3300 block of East Baltimore.

The city has not reached 300 homicides since 1999.