BALTIMORE (AP) - The city of Baltimore has reached 300 homicides in a year for the fifth year in a row.
Detective Donny Moses told WBAL-AM the total reached 300 Thursday morning with the shooting deaths of a man and a woman. The Baltimore Sun reports the city is on track to see one of its most violent years on record.
The city recorded 309 homicides last year and 342 the year before.
Democratic Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young addressed the homicide rate at a news conference Wednesday. He said the city is working to reduce the crime rate and leaders aren't to blame.
Young took over as mayor this spring after Democrat Catherine Pugh resigned amid investigations into her business dealings. He's running for reelection in 2020 against a dozen challengers, some of whom criticized his comments Wednesday.
