COLUMBUS, Ohio — City leaders say several factors are causing a spike in the homicide rate this year.

 


What You Need To Know

  • There's been 101 homicides this year, which is three fewer than all of 2019

  • The average age of victims has dropped from 37 last year to 24 this year

  • Police Chief Tom Quinlan says he's troubled by the amount of suspects and shooting victims who are teenagers


Tuesday afternoon, the city's mayor and police chief hosted a joint press conference to address some of the issues and call on people who live in the city to do their part. They say there have been 101 homicides this year—just three fewer than the total during all of last year.

Mayor Andrew Ginther says the uptick in violence in Columbus can be traced back to the ramifications of a global pandemic, unemployment, housing instability, and no in-person school or athletics.

 

Also of note, the victims’ average age has dropped significantly from 37 in 2019 to 24 this year.
 
Ginther and Police Chief Tom Quinlan say what's even more troubling is the amount of suspects and shooting victims who are teenagers.

Both say preventing and solving crime is a collaborative effort and more help is needed from community partners and faith leaders.

“Ask yourselves, what you can do? Can you reach out to young people that you know might be headed in the wrong direction? Can you volunteer your time to mentor?,” says Ginther.

“We need guns secured and kept out of teens hands. We all must be vocal, and we must our intentions for change clear,” says Quinlan.

Ginther says the city has been aided by $2 million in funding from the city's Federal CARES Act to help youth get back on the right path.

If you have any information on crime in Columbus you're asked to contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.