Homicide Watch Trenton

The numbers in this story are pulled from Homicide Watch Trenton’s database, unless otherwise noted. For more detailed information, use the sorting features of the victims and suspects databases, or explore the map.

In 2013, 41 people were killed in 39 separate incidents. That number includes two fatalities that were ruled “death by auto,” and two people who were justifiably shot and killed by police. It also includes the death of Omar Hightower, who was shot in 2005, but died in 2013 after suffering a seizure caused by a bullet that was lodged in his brain.

According to the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Reporting Unit, “death by auto” is considered a manslaughter and is therefore not reported as a homicide statistic. And although justifiable police shootings are reported to the FBI, they are not published as a homicide statistic by state police. Therefore, New Jersey State Police will report Trenton’s official homicide number as 37, which includes Hightower’s death.

The Trentonian, however, has decided to include deaths by auto and justifiable police shootings in its yearly homicide count.

With that said, here are the rest of the numbers:

August was the deadliest month with 10 victims killed in nine separate incidents. Aug. 3 was the deadliest day of the year with three victims killed in two separate incidents. There were no homicides during the months of March and October.

Thirty-eight victims were male; three were female.

The most common ages for victims were 22, 24 and 26 (four victims each). Nearly half were in their 20s (19 victims) when they died; seven were teenagers.

The oldest victim was 61-year-old Berkley McDaniel, an innocent bystander struck by stray gunfire while walking home. The youngest was 13-year-old Quavon Foster, whose accused killer was gunned down by police during a 37-hour standoff.

Thirty-three victims were black, and three were Hispanic. Race was unknown for five of the victims.

Shootings killed 33 people in Trenton last year, more than any other homicide method. Five people died from stabbings; one was beaten to death. Two people died from vehicular injuries.

Of the two deaths by auto, one was a hit-and-run: the death of 42-year-old Stephon Francis.

Twenty victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and 20 victims died at the hospital. The Trentonian was unable to determine where Omar Hightower was pronounced dead.

Twenty-five suspects were arrested in connection with 17 separate killings that occurred in 2013. All of them were men.

The most common age of suspects was 24. The oldest suspect was 40-year-old William Nobles; the youngest was an unnamed 16-year-old juvenile charged with killing Shamere Melvin.

Twenty-one suspects were black; one was white; and one was Hispanic. A race was unknown for two juvenile suspects.

The majority of incidents occurred between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Fifteen killings occurred between 8 p.m. and midnight, 11 occurred between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. It is unknown what time three incidents occurred.