September the deadliest month since 2005

This September, with its 11 homicides, was the deadliest month Richmond has seen in quite awhile.

October 1, 2012; 11:24 AM • by Ross Catrow

This September, with its 11 homicides, was the deadliest month Richmond has seen in quite awhile. You have to go all the way back to June of 2005 (13 murders) to find another month as deadly. But, so far, since 2007, September’s double-digit total is an abberation.

Over the last five years Richmond has seen a dramatic drop in the number of murders per year. The first half of the previous decade averaged 82.2 murders per year, while the second half averaged only 57.4. This is pretty dramatic drop off:

The last couple of years have continued the trend, with 2011 having the second lowest murder total since 1980. However, 2012 is on pace (not that you can predict these sorts of things) to register the highest number of murders in the last five years. And September is the first double-digit murder month since 2007. Here’s a look at the number of months each year with double-digit murders:

As for where all of September’s murders took place, it was mostly in the southern part of the city. Five of the 11 killings took place in or adjacent to the Oak Grove neighborhood off of Jefferson Davis Highway.

September 14th, 20th, and 30th all had multipe killings. Previously, the only day with multiple murders was April 18th–and those were related.

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Victims

1. 9/9 • James Earl Porter, 39
2. 9/13 • Antonio M. Dinkins, 25
3. 9/14 • Gregory R. Carter, 37 • details »
4. 9/14 • Keonna Watkins, 20
5. 9/16 • Loleatta B. Brown, 36 • details »
6. 9/20 • Malik D. DeSilva, 31 • details »
7. 9/20 • Paresh D. Patel, 44
8. 9/26 • Andre T. Harper, 22
9. 9/29 • Shaquan Dominique Mealey, 22 • details »
10. 9/30 • Andre Lee Seward, 37
11. 9/30 • ???, ??

October 1, 2012 11:24 AM 2