Anecdotal evidence that the murder rate has been rising in America has been backed up by new figures that point to an increase of more than 10 percent in killings last year.
Figures released by the FBI point to the biggest percentage jump in a single year since 1971.
A report in The Guardian highlighted two disturbing trends in the figures for 2015.
Murder Rate Spikes in US cities
1 A significant increase in the number of black men killed. There were at least 900 more victims last year than in 2014.
2 A spike in the number of killings using firearms. There were about 1,500 more crimes committed with guns in 2015 year-on-year.
Firearms remain the widely-used weapon in murder cases. The percentage of killings committed by firearms rose to 71 percent.
The spike in murders ended a steady decline over two decades. However, America’s murder rate remains lower than in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
That trend holds good for violent crime in general. In 2015, the FBI estimates there were 372.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Twenty years earlier in 1995, there were about 685 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, according to the FBI.
The recent spike has, nevertheless, caused concern. Many of the cities that saw killings and violent crime soar in 2015 have seen the trend continue in 2016.
Gun crime has been soaring in Chicago which is approaching the figure of 3,000 shootings a year, noted the Chicago Tribune.
Just 10 cities accounted for most of the additional homicides in 2015. They accounted for a staggering 524 additional murders. In terms of raw numbers, Baltimore in Maryland saw the biggest increase – up 133 more killings or 63 percent year on year. Houston in Texas recorded 61 more killings. It saw the third biggest murder rate increase in the country in terms of raw numbers.
The biggest increases in terms of percentage rises were seen in Aurora in Colorado and Anchorage in Alaska – 118 and 117 percent respectively.
If you have been charged with murder or another crime of violence in Texas you will be potentially facing a long time behind bars. You could even end up on death row. You are likely to be denied bail and family members and friends may turn away from you.
However, Texas has a long history of wrongful convictions in murder cases and a spike in the murder rate as seen recently in Fort Worth and Texas, puts more pressure on police and prosecutors. It’s important to hire an aggressive Texas murder defense lawyer.
Call our firm today for a free and confidential consultation at (682) 204-4066.
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