Minneapolis Murder Rate Rises Alarmingly

Just 8-1/2 months into 1995, Minneapolis has tied its record for homicides in a year and could eclipse New York City’s murder rate.

The 63 killings so far are the most in any year since 1991. City leaders blame drugs, guns and gangs but say that’s not the whole story.

“The bottom line is something is happening in our community and we don’t all fully understand it,” Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton said.

In a year when New York and some other major cities are reporting a drop in murder rates, Minnesota’s largest city is a baffling exception.