Video: A Homicide Review In The Friendly City

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – There have been eight homicides in the city of Columbus so far this year, including one just yesterday morning, and with another month left in 2016, we could see that number grow.

So far, only three arrests have been made in those eight cases.

There are over 23,000 people in Columbus. The per capita homicide rate is 3.5 per 10,000 people.

Each homicide victim in Columbus has been male. Although they share that in common, their deaths don’t share the same story.

“There’s been stabbings, there’s been vehicular deaths that are attributed to homicide, so it hasn’t just been all gunshots,” says Lowndes County Coroner, Greg Merchant.

The circumstances around each investigation varies. It can also take a while to find witnesses that will talk with police, and have evidence processed at the state crime lab.

The number of homicides also vary each year. The last time Columbus PD reported crime statistics to the FBI was 2012. That year there was one homicide, this year there has been eight.

“That’s a little high. Once before I remember seeing a spike, I think it was in 2011, we had a rise in homicides, but as I was telling you earlier, it’s just not the homicides we see an increase in this year. We’ve seen an increase in our total numbers,” says Merchant.

We’ve tried to interview people who live near crime scenes, and many were too scared to go on camera, but others in town are letting their feelings be known.

“It’s a little discerning to think that there are that many homicides going on, especially in such a wonderful town like Columbus, you know? I grew up in New Orleans and that’s something more accustomed over there, you know?” Says Columbus resident, Zachary Koerner.

“It honestly worries me. I mean, I go to school at the W, and at night, sometimes I’m in the library studying and it makes afraid to walk to my car, and when I’m coming home late at night, it makes me not want to go out,” says Columbus resident, Aston Simpson.

We reached out to the Columbus Police Department, but they were unable to speak with us today.

Categories: Local News

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