2007.11.13
Where Roanokers are dying.
Roanoke has seen 15 homicides since Jan. 1, 2006. Nine victims died by gunshot, four by stabbing, and two by blunt force trauma. Well over half the victims were black, three were women, and the victims have an average age of 36.9. In four cases, no arrests have been made. Details for each victim and case are available in our interactive homicide map in the DataSphere.
It’s an old story, but there it is, high-tech and clickable. We don’t have many violent killings in Roanoke compared to some places, but the patterns are the same as about any urban center. Murder victims are most likely to be young, black and male. Guns continue to be the preferred weapon.
Eventually we’ll map Roanoke’s murders back 10 or 15 years.
What do you reckon that map will look like?
The cases will likely follow the poorer areas, and areas known by the locals to be "the wrong side of the tracks".
Yet it will still be "wrong" to profile.
Comment by Ed S. — November 18, 2007 @ 3:19 pm