[jonesrmj]

Wilmington seeing fewer shootings, killings so far in 2018

After a year of record-breaking shootings and killings, Wilmington on Tuesday issued a "cautiously optimistic report" announcing its crime complaints had dramatically dropped.

Overall, crime was down by 8 percent, according to Wilmington statistics that compared crime reports from the start of this year through Monday to the same time last year.

More dramatic drops in crime including shootings – down by 61 percent – and homicides – down by 63 percent. Tuesday's announcement included Monday's shooting homicide, in which 35-year-old Khalif Friend was killed.

Wilmington has seen 27 shootings, six fatal, so far this year, according to The News Journal's shooting database. Last year at this time, 74 people had been shot, 17 of them fatally.

The announcement comes weeks after Robert Tracy completed his first year as Wilmington's police chief.

Read more - https://www.delawareonline.com/story...des/591168002/