Democrat-run Washington, DC, is on pace to have its deadliest year in two ... trends now
The nation's capital is tracking toward its deadliest year in two decades with 16 shooting deaths in August alone - bringing back memories of the crack-fueled murder spree in the 1990s that earned the city the nickname 'Dodge City.'
The homicide rate in Washington, DC, has spiked to 16 already this month, as rising crime has agonized residents and city leaders with one council member calling for the National Guard to intervene.
The district has clocked 161 homicides to date, which is a 28 percent increase over the same period last year.
DailyMail.com has pictured some of the victims just this month, many of whom died in shooting-related incidents, at least 9 of which happened over Aug 5 and 6.
According to data collected by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, homicides this year have eclipsed the number killed in all of 2018 and follows years with more than 200 total deaths.
DC saw its yearly murder count spike to more than 500 during the 1990s and the crack epidemic in the city. Since then, the figure has trended down, but is now increasing again.
Historically, easy access to illegal firearms have been to blame for the random gun violence, with council member Trayon White this week calling on the National Guard to intervene.
White, who holds office in Ward 8, a statistically higher crime-ravaged district, said in a press conference: 'Enough is enough.
'We're tired of this s**t,' White said passionately on Tuesday.
'Excuse my language, but I want to be frank with the young men and young ladies we serve.
'It's not okay for you to load up 30, 40, 50 – 120 rounds in a gun and shoot up our community.'
White told reporters that he'd spoken with the National Guard to find out how to make an official request - which included how many members, what they'd be doing and the length of time.
Historically, easy access to illegal firearms have been to blame for the random gun violence. Council member Trayon White (left) has called for the National Guard to be called in while Mayor Muriel Bowser (right) has said that isn't a 'specific mission' for them
The nation's capital is tracking toward its deadliest year in two decades with 16 shooting deaths in August alone - bringing back memories of the crack-fueled murder spree in the 1990s that earned the city the nickname 'Dodge City.'
When asked about a proposed budget increase for police in Washington, White retorted this week that 'we believe that police are not the end-all solution to addressing crime in our city'
When asked why the National Guard had not been requested, after a crime-riddled Independence Day weekend, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told Fox News there wasn't a 'specific mission' for them to handle - despite acknowledging the rampant gun violence in her city.
'If we had a specific mission that was in the mission of the National Guard, we wouldn't hesitate to call on them,' she said at the time.
'What the National Guard — they're not law enforcement, keep in mind. They don't know our local laws.
'They don't typically make local arrests. What we have used the national guard for, to perform a more critical function, has been in traffic posts and we use traffic posts very statically.'
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