WASHINGTON — The numbers are in and they're not good. The District of Columbia had more homicides in 2023 than in any other year in the last two decades.
In 2023, there were 274 lives lost in homicides in D.C. – a 36% increase from the previous year and a 20-year high.
Sifting through two decades of homicide data, the District has only crossed the grim milestone of 200 homicides three times – including 2023.
In 2022, there were 201 homicides; 2021 had 226 homicides; and then you have to go back 21 years to 2003 to cross the 200 mark again – that year had 248 homicides. The year with the least amount of homicides was 2012 with 88.
>Check out D.C. homicide data for the last 35 years below:
Though 2023 was the worst year for homicides in two decades, it's important to note that the District has seen much more violence if you look back even further.
WUSA9's homicide data for D.C. dates back to 1989, which saw 434 homicides. The peak for the given time frame was 482 homicides in 1991.
In 2023, in addition to homicides being up 36% compared to the previous year, other crimes also so big spikes in the District.
Robberies were up 67% last year – with 3,470 people reporting having been robbed in 2023. Vehicle thefts were up a whopping 82% with 6,829 people reporting a stolen vehicle. Arsons, which are generally uncommon, were up 175% with 11 reported cases in 2023 up from only four in 2022.
DC residents dealing with violence
WUSA9 spoke with residents who call D.C. home to understand how the increasing violence has impacted daily life in the District.
“It’s not just names, its families, community members sons daughters, it’s not just their names,” said Elizabeth Spect, who lives in D.C.
James Thomas was raised in D.C.
“Being a native Washingtonian, it’s kind of sad to see the state that the city is in,” Thomas said.
Metro Police Department Homicide Inspector Kevin Kentish said the reason for the spike in deadly violence is multi-faceted, but he said access to guns plays a major role.
“We’re seeing younger and younger people involved in these homicides. Some of them are saying, 'I can’t walk away, and I have a gun in my hand so this is what I’m going to use.' And it’s only later that they realize they picked the wrong decision,” said Kentish.
Through the lens of crime scene tape and chaos, Kentish has been to every single homicide.
“We’re having homicides in places I’ve never been to. We’re having homicides in places we’ve never had homicides before,” Kentish said.
The majority of homicides victims in 2023 were lost to gunfire.
“We’re seeing cases now where simple arguments lead to people producing guns. Everybody has a gun right now,” Kentish said.
For neighbors who call the District home, they grapple with the high level of violence.
Resident Karyn Bruggeman said, “Whether it’s targeted violence or random violence, how did that person get there to that point? The desperation that reflects is really what we need to be working on."
With 40 homicides for every 100,000 residents, D.C. ranked fifth nationally for per-capita murder rates. The numbers are 36% higher than those seen in 2022.
And while all of D.C.’s communities have seen an increase in homicides, it’s those who live in Wards 7 and 8, east of the river, who have been impacted the most.
Thomas said the answer lies in family structures.
“It’s generational cycles. It’s a bigger issue than just 2023 and the fact there’s a rise in homicides – I grew up here and saw the 1980s.”
274 families across the District are dealing with a new normal after the loss of a loved one.
'Grief is a mountain'
Myron Jones lost his son Kamal in 2023.
“Great kid, smiles all the time – he’s a gentle giant – loves to cook, loves to bake – loves his job,” he said.
On Sept. 26, 2023 – Kamal Jones was shot and killed on Savannah Street in Southeast D.C. He was 21 years old.
“What I know is that somebody’s child killed my child,” said Jones.
“People go around talking about killing somebody as if it’s a badge, and it feels like there’s nothing we can do about it.”
To date there have been no arrests. The case remains open.
“It touch different when it’s directly connected to you,” said Jones. “I walk real faithful, and every time I think of my son, I just say praise God.”
"Grief is a mountain that you climb. You may fall sometimes, but you gotta keep climbing that mountain."
>Watch Myron Jones tell his story below:
From those grieving, to those working the crime scenes:
“The Metropolitan Police Department is not stopping. We are doing anything – all ideas on the table – anything we can do to bring down the homicides, the car jackings, and violent crime,” said Kentish.
The impact of the 274 lives taken is far reaching.
Bruggeman said, “That family will miss them forever, it’s not something that’s just one headline or one moment in time."
In November, D.C. police released a Public Safety Plan. The department says they’re working to fight violent crime from many different angles; through joint task forces, focusing on youth safety, and through holding those who commit the crimes accountable.
Officer Kentish also noted that community involvement, and witnesses coming forward is the fastest way to help close cases and get suspects behind bars.
Looking forward
Are D.C's leaders up to the task of reducing crime in the District in 2024? Only time will tell.
This week, Police Chief Pamela A. Smith started her first full year as D.C.'s top cop to show District residents what she can do to curb crime. Meanwhile, Muriel Bowser, who took over the mayor's office in 2015, is entering the second year of her third term in office.
This year, WUSA9 will track all homicides in the District so residents can see what's going on in and around their neighborhood. D.C. recorded its first homicide of the year just one hour into 2024. The 2024 interactive homicide map below.
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