WASHINGTON — As 2015 winds to a close, D.C. leaders are hoping the new year will bring fewer homicides.
As of Wednesday morning, the number of homicides in the District stood at 162, an increase of 54 percent over last year.
“We’ve got too many illegal firearms out here with these high-capacity magazines,” said Police Chief Cathy Lanier during a news conference this month. “That really has contributed to an increase in the number of lives lost.”
The District has made huge strides in bringing down the homicide rate since the 1990s, when there were routinely more than 400 murders each year. However, 2015 stands as a notable setback.
The 162 homicides represent the highest number the city has seen since 2008, according to police data.
