CDC: 2020 saw highest increase in US homicide rate in modern history
Provisional data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics showed the homicide rate spiked 30 percent between 2019 and 2020.
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Provisional data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics showed the homicide rate spiked 30 percent between 2019 and 2020.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US in 2020 recorded its highest increase in rates of homicide in modern history. This comes as the CDC has launched a study on gun violence to get better data. In August, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky named gun violence a "public health threat."
Provisional data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics showed the homicide rate spiked 30 percent between 2019 and 2020. The previous highest increase in the homicide rate was a 20 percent, recorded from 2000 to 2001 because of the September 11 terror attacks.
According to NCHS, the homicide rate increased from about six homicides per 100,000 people in 2019 to 7.8 per 100,000 in 2020. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report recorded about 21,570 murders in 2020, up from an estimated, which mirrored the 30 percent increase, and was single-year increase the agency has recorded since it began tracking homicides in the 1960s.
Only three states showed decreases in homicides over the same period, Maine, New Mexico and Alaska.
Earlier this year, criminology experts told CNN the increase in homicides was due to several factors including the coronavirus pandemic which closed schools and businesses, leading to unemployment. The CNN experts tried to blame the fact that "…children and unemployed adults were stuck at home, leading to skyrocketing stress and anxiety levels, especially in lower-income households."
However, the outlet failed to mention that because of the closed schools, many lower income children joined gangs and turned to a life of crime which led to an increase in many crimes, including carjackings. The 33 percent increase in juvenile crimes was similar to the increase in the homicide rate.
Though CNN mentioned that "…the pandemic also changed the way police officers do their jobs -- because of illness and social distancing -- which in turn led to fewer officers on the streets in areas that needed crime prevention the most," the network failed to mention defunding of police as a factor.
Following the death of George Floyd, thousands took to the streets in riots which cost billions of dollars in damage and dozens of lives. Politicians caved to the mob and defunded police departments across the country which has led to spiking crime in those municipalities.
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