Baltimore's Catholic community holds prayer walk as city reaches 200 homicides in 2024
BALTIMORE -- The Archdiocese of Baltimore's Grief Ministry gathered Monday to remember and pray for those who died from a homicide as the city counts 200 victims in 2024.
Of the 200 homicides in Baltimore City this year, 173 were a result of gun violence, according to data from the CBS News gun violence tracker.
Data also shows that gun violence disproportionately impacts the younger population, with most victims falling into the 30-34 age range. The 26-29, 22-25, and 18-21 age groups were also heavily impacted, with 334, 338, 305 total gun violence victims (fatal and non-fatal), in the past 12 months respectively.
"It's a tragedy because most of those names that were read off were young Black men, probably under the age of 30, who had their lives cut out way too short," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "We just have to stop the circle of violence and we're going to keep fighting every day to do that."
While Baltimore City Police says it has seen 59 fewer homicides than this time last year, more work remains for Maryland leaders.
Remembering lives lost
At the emotional remembrance ceremony, dozens gathered at St. Joseph's Monastery Church on Old Frederick Road on Monday night.
This service comes days before the start of a new year and in the middle of the holiday season, which can be a difficult time for families impacted by violence.
The ceremony included reading the names of the 200 homicide victims as well as a prayer walk from the church to My Brother's Keeper on Frederick Avenue.
Police Commissioner Worley, as well as other top-ranking members of the Baltimore City Police Department, attended the vigil. Worley reminded everyone that these are not just statistics, but lives that were lost, impacting many families and communities.
"It's a good accomplishment to come in under last year, but it's still too many for our city," Worley said. "We talk about it as numbers, but that's somebody's child, somebody's father, uncle."
Faith leaders led the group in prayer, creating a call for peace in 2025.
Dorothy Cunningham, one of the community advocates in attendance, was overcome with emotion while reading some of the victims' names. She mentioned her grandson, Markell Hendricks, was killed by a stray bullet in 2019.
Cunningham said the pain of losing her grandson will never go away, but she attended the event to support others going through the same pain.
"No matter how many years it seems like it was just yesterday," Cunningham said. "I try to be here so I can support another individual that's recently gone through it… I want to be able to at least support them."
Community organizations, including Roberta's House, also supported the victims' loved ones. The advocacy group provides wrap-around services to families who have been impacted by violence, providing support in times of need.
"There is community even in loss, so when we have events like this it has some sense of camaraderie, some sense of community that they might not be able to find," said Roxanne Fuentes, program director for the Homicide Survivor Advocacy Project at Roberta's House. "Everyone's loss is their individual loss, and each and every single person that has been lost deserves the respect and the moment in time to be remembered."
In 2023, Baltimore recorded fewer than 300 homicides, which was the first time since 2014.
Commissioner Worley says his goal for 2025 is to continue reducing homicides and making the streets safer.
Focus in 2025
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott stressed at his inauguration that Baltimore was experiencing a "renaissance" with shootings and homicides decreasing. He said he plans to focus on communities long plagued by violence and the vacant housing crisis.
In November, Scott celebrated the success of the city's Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, noting a 24% reduction in Baltimore City homicides, and a 34% reduction in non-fatal shootings.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has made intentional efforts to fight gun violence. In December, Brown joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general to hold the gun industry accountable for its impact on gun violence.
In February 2024, In February 2024, the city of Baltimore reached a $1.2 settlement in its lawsuit against Polymer80, a leading manufacturer of ghost guns.
