In 2017, 52 people were murdered in Little Rock, which is a 30 percent increase over the previous year. While the total is not the highest in the city's history, Little Rock has continuously had a higher per capita homicide rate, making it more dangerous than cities with similar populations.
This increase in homicides in 2016 and 2017 also comes at a time when the Little Rock police force has seen a shortage of officers.
This is THV11's effort to keep the city updated and informed. This article will remain here and present on our website throughout 2018. As the victims are identified and the suspects are charged, we will add to this article.
In 2017, there were 52 homicides in the city.
December 27: 23-year-old Jamika Lewis // 2-year-old Ja'Shun Watson
According to police, a woman and a child were found in a parking lot near Par Drive. Police also found an infant in another vehicle at the scene.
Read more here.
December 19: 77-year-old Joseph Jones
Police have arrested 40-year-old Kendall Jones after responding to a call about a suspect striking his father with a brick.
Read more here.
November 30: 37-year-old Leon Mitchell Jr.
Mitchell, along with another victim, were shot in a drive-by shooting. Mitchell was pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more here.
November 26: 18-year-old Mark Riller
Little Rock police have confirmed that Riller died from multiple gunshot wounds at Eastview Terrace Apartments. There are no suspects at this time.
Read more here.
November 18: 29-year-old Bobby Joe Young
Police are investigating a homicide that happened on the 7400 block of Loretto Lane. Young was found in a ditch and police have arrested four people in connection to the shooting.
Read more here.
November 16: Kennelle Anderson // LaTija Luckey // Carrington Williams
When police arrived on scene after a shots fired call near West 14th and Peyton streets, they found a Jeep Renegade that crashed with three people inside suffering from gunshot wounds. All three homicide victims were under the age of 20.
Read more here.
November 16: 44-year-old Corey Jackson
Jackson was found police at the 3100 block of West 17th Street around 3:00 a.m.
Read more here.
November 3: 71-year-old Gary Parker
A 15-year-old was arrested and charged with one count of manslaughter after 71-year-old Gary Parker died due to his injuries.
Read more here.
November 2: 36-year-old Tobias Bushong
Officers responded to a shooting on Sunflower Drive after a caller said her son had shot her brother, Tobias Bushong.
Read more here.
October 12: 32-year-old Levon Sales Jr.
Sales was found dead at the Oakridge Apartments and a suspect has been arrested in connection to the homicide.
Read more here.
September 3: 56-year-old Margaret Clevenger
Little Rock police have confirmed the city's 24th homicide, which they said occurred at 8 a.m. on Old Forge Court. Clevenger's husband said he found her on the floor when he arrived home. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Read more here.
August 24: 39-year-old Donnell Walker
Police found 39-year-old Donnell Walker suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body on the 4600 block of Princeton Drive. Officers arrested 25-year-old Darrin Jackson and charged him with second degree murder.
Read more here.
August 14: 28-year-old Christopher Nixon
When police arrived at the 5700 block of Dreher Lane and found Nixon suffering from multiple gunshot injuries outside of a vehicle. Police are looking for possibly three shooters, males who left in a dark-colored vehicle.
July 7: 64-year-old Maurice Culberson
When police arrived, they found Culberson sitting inside a car suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. No suspect has been named at this time.
Read more here.
June 9: 33-year-old Evedencio Ordonez
Ordonez was killed after being stabbed by the suspect, Humberto Machic (aka Carlos Ramos). Police think the stabbing happened because of a disagreement between the two men.
Read more here.
June 8: 62-year-old Lawrence Butler
Police say a family member came over to watch the NBA Finals game between the Cavs and Warriors when they found 62-year-old Lawrence Butler dead.
Read more here.
May 11: 20-year-old Danthony Hill
Police responded to a homicide on the 6300 block of Colonel Glenn Road where they found 20-year-old Danthony Hill fatally wounded from a shooting.
The victim said Hill was trying to rob him when the gunfire began. The victim was wounded in the hand during the incident.
Read more here.
May 10: 47-year-old Shirley Kirklin
Kirklin was killed in an apparent murder-suicide by 58-year-old Timothy Williams. Her body was found by her daughter. Both her and Williams was found dead at the scene.
Read more here.
May 8: 18-year-old Brandon Brooks
Brooks, along with two others, were shot in a bedroom of a house on the 4200 block of West 24th Street. All three were transported to a hospital where Brooks passed away.
Read more here.
April 13: 55-year-old Eric Woods
Police say Woods was shot while next to a stopped vehicle on Gaines Street. Witnesses told police that they heard several gunshots and suspect vehicle left the scene shortly after.
Read more here.
April 5: 39-year-old Joshua Backus
Backus was found in a parking lot with gunshot wounds at a shopping center on Mabelvale Pike. He later died at the hospital. No other information has been made available at this time.
Read more here.
April 1: 40-year-old Joshua Loy
Officers arrived at a house on David O. Dodd Road and found Loy in the front year with gunshot wounds. He died a short time later.
53-year-old Michael Wood was arrested and charged with first degree murder.
Read more here.
March 31: 52-year-old Reginald Travis
Travis was suffering from several gunshot wounds in a Kroger parking lot on Colonel Glenn Road when police found him. He was taken to a nearby hospital and died a week later, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Read more here.
March 28: 21-year-old Robert Rockett
Rockett, who was from Benton, was found by his brother in a car on Tyler Street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital where he later died.
Quincy Braxton has been charged with the death of Rockett and Gregory Mayo.
Read more here.
March 26: 35-year-old Marjorie Ashcraft
The son of Marjorie and Doyle Ashcraft woke up early to family residence on fire. His mother was found dead in the back bedroom that weren't consistent with a fire.
Doyle Ashcraft has been charged with first degree murder in the death of his wife.
Read more here.
March 18: 21-year-old Cierria Onukwube // 22-year-old Nathan Sullivan
Both Onukwube and Sullivan were found inside a car that had run off the road on the 2100 block of Oak Street. Sullivan was pronounced dead at the scene while Onukwube diead at the hospital.
Read more here.
March 17: 47-year-old Charles Harris
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. at Boyle Park and when first repsonders arrived they pronounced Harris dead at the scene. Police say Harris was giving a friend a ride home when he was killed in a drive-by shooting.
No suspect has been named in the shooting.
Read more here.
March 13: 34-year-old Tartinisha Rainey
Rainey was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. Another person was shot during the shooting but survived.
Police arrested three men in connection to Rainey's death.
Read more here.
February 28: 51-year-old Gregory Mayo
Police say Mayo was robbed and killed by two men. Initially, only Laderrick Conley was charged for the death, but police say Quincy Braxton was also connected to Mayo's homicide.
Read more here.
February 15: 23-year-old Devon Howard
Police say witnesses two men forced their way into Howard's home. Witnesses say the two demanded money and then a gunshot was heard.
LRPD has not named an official suspect to the public.
Read more here.
January 29: 17-year-old Christopher Arnold
Arnold was found lying on the sidewalk near the Kroger on Springer Boulevard. Police say he was bleeding from his head when he was found. He pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more here.
January 21: 34-year-old Katrina Hampton
Hampton's mother found her dead body inside her house. A medical examiner ruled her death as a homicide.
No suspect has been named at this time.
Read more here.
January 9: 18-year-old Antwan Anderson
Anderson was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at East View Terrace Apartment. He was taken to the hospital where he passed away.
Read more here.
