It’s been years since Fort Wayne, In., bled like this, says the city’s News-Sentinel. In 2013, there were 44 homicides in Fort Wayne and Allen County, matching the highest toll since 1997. About nine in 10 of the victims are men. Nearly all died by gunfire; four died of stabbings or cuts, and one was beaten to death. The dead are predominantly black.
Police Chief Rusty York blames the prevalence of guns, noting that felons who can’t buy guns themselves get girlfriends to buy guns for them. Guns are among the most desirable objects burglars can steal from homes or businesses. New gun-control measures show no sign of gathering momentum, either in the Indiana legislature or on Fort Wayne’s City Council. York suspects that the glamorization of criminal behavior in movies, television shows and music may suggest or reinforce casual aggression.