The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) recorded a total of 100 homicides in 2020 as of Monday, July 13, up from 81 in the same period of 2019, which is a 23 percent increase.
One of the most recent murders in the city was the shooting death of 11-year old Davon McNeal, who became the victim of a gunfire opened by a group of people after a community cookout in Southeast on the Fourth of July. He was taken to the Children’s National Hospital, where he died.
DC police arrested an 18-year-old man last Thursday in connection with Davon’s death. The suspect identified as Daryle Bond of Southeast DC was charged with first degree murder while armed. Three others are still wanted in the case on charges of first-degree murder.
The year of 2019, during which 166 homicides took place, went down in DC’s history with the most homicides over the past decade. However, 2020 seems to be on track to break that record.
Other crimes that also rose this year in the District are assaults with a dangerous weapon (838 in 2019; 847 in 2020), thefts of motor vehicles (1,066 in 2019; 1,386 in 2020), and arson (seven in 2019; 10 in 2020), with 1 percent, 30 percent, and 43 percent, respectively, according to MPD data.
As for all crimes in total, 16,744 incidents happened in 2019, while the figure is 13,935 so far in 2020, which indicates a 17 percent decrease.
DC Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Shooting of 11-Year-Old Davon McNeal