As of Jan. 30, there were four fewer homicides in 2012 than as of the same date in 2011. All but one of 2012’s homicide victims have been African-American; the other victim was Caucasian. Eight were shot, one suffered blunt-force trauma, one was killed in a fire, and one was stabbed to death. Nine of the victims were male and two were female. The homicides took place in 11 different neighborhoods. So far the Southwestern is the most murderous police district with four murders, followed by the Eastern and Northwestern, both of which have two. The oldest victim was 84 and the youngest was 18.

Friday, Jan. 27

3:10 p.m. After six days without a homicide, police were called to the 4400 block of Park Heights Avenue. A large group of people were gathered around Travis Spencer, a 24-year-old African-American man. Spencer had been shot in the back in the 2700 block of West Cold Spring Lane and made his way around the corner before collapsing. Police believe Spencer may have been shot during a robbery that occurred in the middle of the afternoon in a busy commercial area.

Sunday, Jan. 29

11:03 p.m. Shayvon Booker, a 19-year-old African-American man, was shot in the back of the head in the 200 block of South Loudon Avenue in Irvington. He died at a local hospital a half-hour later. Booker is the second teenager murdered this year.

Update

Isaiah Crowder, a 21-year-old African-American man, was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Jan. 27 for the murder of Isaiah Gordon, a 20-year-old African-American man. According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, Crowder and Gordon had been lifelong friends. They got into an argument on Aug. 15, 2010, and Crowder shot Gordon repeatedly in the chest and lower body.

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