MILWAUKEE — Twenty-nine females have fallen victim to homicide in Milwaukee County so far this year. 

From 2018 to 2021, Milwaukee County saw a female homicide increase of more than 94%, according to data from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Milwaukee County leaders said the area has continued to see an overall increase in homicides and violence. 

"I think there are a number of contributing factors," Carmen Pitre, the CEO of Sojourner Peace Center, said. "We've had a rise in domestic violence for years. We noted the rise in domestic violence started in the summer of 2019— the pandemic has made everything worse."

Pitre added that while most acts of domestic violence take place inside someone's home, there are still red flags and warning signs that neighbors and relatives can watch for, and hopefully help ahead of time.

"They're intimate— they're events that happen in intimate settings," Pitre said. "We know people who work with us, they're in church, they're in our neighborhood organizations, they're in our neighborhoods— we have to be the people who are on the lookout for people who are suffering and who are struggling."

Watch the full interview above.