It is no secret to America that Baltimore, Maryland is a city that has a high amount of gun violence, much of which leads to an unbelievable number of homicides every year. This morning when I opened the Baltimore Sun I read a disturbing article about more violence and death that had taken place last night. On November 11, 2006, 2 days before his 17th birthday, Shawn Robinson was shot and pronounced dead at John's Hopkins. Last night about 50 family and friends gathered to hold a prayer vigil in remembrance of Shawn and as a stand against the continued violence plaguing our city. Right before the vigil began shots rang out around the corner. Quickly, police and paramedics arrived only to pull out a man shot twice and who also was pronounced dead last night at John's Hopkins. For full story see...
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/crime/bal-md.ci.vigil12nov12,0,1356936.story
As a memorial to Shawn, the streets produced another homicide victim on the same night and in the same community where Shawn was killed. The fact is that the killing in Baltimore goes on. Throughout the 90's our yearly homicide rate was over 300 hitting a high of 353 in 1993. In cities over 500,000 our homicide rate is only second to Detroit. In 2000 the city celebrated as it was finally able to get under 300 homicides. At a press conference on January 3, 2001 Mayor Martin O'Malley said, "The next big goal is to get it under 200." That statement alone is insane. How can 200 homicides a year be a "big goal?" How about zero homicides as a goal? But in Baltimore, that is a big goal that still has not been achieved.
Homicides are so prevalent here that we actually have a homicide map where you can look up your address and see where/when homicides have taken place in your community (see http://essentials.baltimoresun.com/micro_sun/homicides/) The fact that this needs to exist is ridiculous. Curious about my neighborhood I got on and found out that over the past year five men had been murdered within about a 5 block radius of my house.
1. Marcus McDowell (9) 5100 Harford RoadBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 16 years old
Found on January 08, 2007. Victim died at Bayview Hospital, Cause: shooting
2. Antwan Askins (57) 2900 List AveBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 27 years old Found on March 13, 2007. Victim died at Bayview Hospital, Cause: shooting
3. Ronald Daniels (85) 4700 Harford RoadBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 35 years old Found on April 29, 2007. Victim died at scene, Cause: shooting
4. Gerald Smith (156) 4800 Herring Run DriveBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 25 years old
Found on July 01, 2007. Victim died at scene, Cause: shooting
5. Mario Mauro (164) 3000 Rosekemp Ave.Baltimore, MD 21214. white male, 53 years old
Found on July 07, 2007. Victim died at JHH, Cause: blunt force
The friends of those killed have their way of honoring the dead. I took the picture above after getting permission from some young men in my old neighborhood. Seeing the make shift memorial reminds many of us removed from this that these are real people. The five men whose names are written above are men who I don't know but who my heart is broken over. Note their ages. Most of them were young men and more than likely many of them were fathers. These are just the homicides within walking distance from my house and I don't even live in a rough neighborhood when you compare our community with others throughout the city.
As of today November 12, 2007 our current homicide rate is listed at 256. I am sure it will continue to rise as we approach the end of the year. May we all be incredibly disturbed by this and may it force us to our knees in prayer and then to our hands and feet in action.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/crime/bal-md.ci.vigil12nov12,0,1356936.story
As a memorial to Shawn, the streets produced another homicide victim on the same night and in the same community where Shawn was killed. The fact is that the killing in Baltimore goes on. Throughout the 90's our yearly homicide rate was over 300 hitting a high of 353 in 1993. In cities over 500,000 our homicide rate is only second to Detroit. In 2000 the city celebrated as it was finally able to get under 300 homicides. At a press conference on January 3, 2001 Mayor Martin O'Malley said, "The next big goal is to get it under 200." That statement alone is insane. How can 200 homicides a year be a "big goal?" How about zero homicides as a goal? But in Baltimore, that is a big goal that still has not been achieved.
Homicides are so prevalent here that we actually have a homicide map where you can look up your address and see where/when homicides have taken place in your community (see http://essentials.baltimoresun.com/micro_sun/homicides/) The fact that this needs to exist is ridiculous. Curious about my neighborhood I got on and found out that over the past year five men had been murdered within about a 5 block radius of my house.
1. Marcus McDowell (9) 5100 Harford RoadBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 16 years old
Found on January 08, 2007. Victim died at Bayview Hospital, Cause: shooting
2. Antwan Askins (57) 2900 List AveBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 27 years old Found on March 13, 2007. Victim died at Bayview Hospital, Cause: shooting
3. Ronald Daniels (85) 4700 Harford RoadBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 35 years old Found on April 29, 2007. Victim died at scene, Cause: shooting
4. Gerald Smith (156) 4800 Herring Run DriveBaltimore, MD 21214. black male, 25 years old
Found on July 01, 2007. Victim died at scene, Cause: shooting
5. Mario Mauro (164) 3000 Rosekemp Ave.Baltimore, MD 21214. white male, 53 years old
Found on July 07, 2007. Victim died at JHH, Cause: blunt force
The friends of those killed have their way of honoring the dead. I took the picture above after getting permission from some young men in my old neighborhood. Seeing the make shift memorial reminds many of us removed from this that these are real people. The five men whose names are written above are men who I don't know but who my heart is broken over. Note their ages. Most of them were young men and more than likely many of them were fathers. These are just the homicides within walking distance from my house and I don't even live in a rough neighborhood when you compare our community with others throughout the city.
As of today November 12, 2007 our current homicide rate is listed at 256. I am sure it will continue to rise as we approach the end of the year. May we all be incredibly disturbed by this and may it force us to our knees in prayer and then to our hands and feet in action.
1 comment:
My name is Charntae Douglas and the name listed as Gerald Smith is actually my brother only thing is the news papers got the name mixed up. See I had two brothers Gerard and Gerald Smith Gerard (Rod)was the one murdered, today makes 4 yrs he had been gone, he was lured to the place he was killed @ by his friend and family member, I have never been to the scene of the crime but I am going there today.
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