Philadelphia ended 2021 with 562 murders, the most in city history. This far surpasses a previous high of 500 homicides, which was set in 1990. The city surpassed that mark shortly after Thanksgiving while the crime wave has shown no signs of slowing down in the new year.
“In our neighborhood when you hear gunshots we know to just roll on the floor and stay down,” Germantown resident Helama Cannon told NBC 10 Friday. “I had to teach my grandchildren — when you hear gunshots, roll over and stay down until I tell you it’s OK.”
Shortly before midnight on December 30, at least 88 shots were fired after multiple gunmen opened fire in Germantown. Six people were ultimately shot in the seemingly gang-related shooting, one critically.
The violence has only continued in 2022, as the city suffered a very violent New Year’s night. Three people were killed while seven others are recovering from gunshot wounds just hours into the new year. The city recorded 100 murders within 100 days in 2021.
For the fourth year in a row, Philadelphia has surpassed New York City in homicides despite being five times smaller.