PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Fifty people were victims of homicides in Philadelphia in the first month of 2021 — 30% more than this time in 2020, which was already a record-breaking year.
The 50th homicide happened Sunday around 7 a.m. Ameen Green, 27, was shot in the back, neck, chest and head in Mount Airy, along Washington Lane and Chew Avenue near the Save A Lot. He was declared dead at the hospital.
Police say the shooting stemmed from an argument.
A 30-year-old woman was injured in the same incident. She was shot in the right eye but is expected to be physically OK.
Fifty homicides in one month is alarming, police officials say, especially because colder months usually keep more people secluded indoors.
Detectives don’t know the reason for about 40% of the cases, but about 20% were motivated by arguments, and another 20% by drugs. The others were listed as domestic-related and robberies.
Four of the victims were juveniles, which includes the 9-year-old girl who was accidentally shot by her 5-year-old cousin. The girl’s father and 12-year-old brother have both been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
There were also 196 shooting victims in the month of January alone.
Last year, the city reached a record-breaking 499 homicides.
As always, there is a $20,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in a homicide case.