LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In the early hours of Sunday morning, the City of Little Rock experienced its 70th homicide of the year, where a 34-year-old man lost his life to an act of gun violence.
Reaching this grim milestone matches Little Rock's highest-ever recorded number of homicides in a year, which last happened back in 1993.
In response to the multiple homicides that have happened across the city, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. stated that the city is in mourning after the loss of this life and all others who have fallen victim to the homicides.
He went on to say, " This is a tragic milestone, and it’s one we must all pause to recognize as we further intensify our efforts to reduce violent crime and take illegal guns off the streets."
“It’s important to clarify the distinction between the types of violent crime we witnessed with the rampant gang activity in the 1990s compared to now when most violent crime is among individuals who are acquainted in some way. Because of that, we’ve put social workers in the field, we’ve funded conflict resolution programs for at-risk youth and we’ve convened the H.O.P.E Council, a panel of experts that will make important recommendations on how to move forward with the prevention, intervention, and treatment programs. At the same time, we are putting targeted patrols in high-crime areas and we recently launched the Little Rock Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. LRPD is working diligently to bring justice for the families of victims," he said.
The Mayor also added that reducing violence will require a holistic and comprehensive strategy and that we must all work together to make our city a safer place.
Candidate for Little Rock Mayor Steve Landers also released a statement regarding the city's 70th homicide saying in part, "I want to help solve this problem and make our City a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. We all must be committed to that goal. Election or no election, and no matter the cause, these killings have to stop."
“As a citizen of Little Rock, I and my family will do everything we can to bring this City together and unite around compassion, consensus, and cooperation," he added.