Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Last year, cities across the United States saw an increase in the number of homicides compared to recent years. The murder rate increased in cities such as Buffalo, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The number of homicides also increased in Louisville, Kentucky. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation the national murder rate increased nearly 15% in 2021 compared to 2020. As of August 2021, approximately 65% of the murders in Louisville have gone unsolved. As of 2019, the national average for solved murder cases nationwide was 61.4% according to the FBI.  According to the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), the city of Louisville had 188 homicides in 2021. Last year was the deadliest year on record for the city of Louisville. The previous record for the most homicides in a year for Louisville was in 2020, when 173 people were murdered. According to LMPD records, 583 people were injured by gun violence in 2021. Also, in 2021, 24 children were killed and 123 children were in...

Last month, on the day before Thanksgiving a 55-year-old woman was shot several times on a street in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The woman eventually died from the wounds that she sustained. Her death marked a tragic milestone for the city since it was the 500th homicide of the year. The last time that the city of Philadelphia reached 500 homicides was in 1990.  At 499, the 2020 total for homicides was the second-highest on record. City leaders expect for 2021 to be the deadliest year in Philadelphia's history. As of December 24, 2021 there were 547 homicides this year in Philadelphia. In 2019 there were 356 homicides and in 2018 there were 353 homicides. City law enforcement data shows that the total amount of violent crimes have decreased; however, the number of homicides in Philadelphia have been on the rise. Civic and community leaders are examining methods for how to reduce the number of homicides in Philadelphia. The state of Pennsylvania has a preemption law - which pr...