2021 surpasses 2020 homicide record, becomes deadliest year in Jackson history

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The year 2021 is now officially the deadliest year in Jackson’s history, surpassing 2020′s homicide record.

The record was broken Friday evening when a man was shot twice and died on Derrick Street. A 13-year-old was also shot in both legs during the shooting.

This made 129 homicides so far this year with one month left to go. Last year, once the deadliest in Jackson’s history, ended with 128 homicides in the capital city.

Before 2020, the year 1995 had the most homicides in Jackson with 92 followed by 1994 with 91.

There was a noticeable spike in homicides between 2019 and 2020, with 83 homicides in the year 2019 and 84 in 2018.

This preceded by 67 in 2017 and 69 in 2016.

Another record was also broken in June of 2021, which became the deadliest month in Jackson history with 17. Of the 17 killed, nine were below the age of thirty.

It was that same month that Councilman Kenneth Stokes proposed bringing in Mississippi National Guard troops to help keep curb the violent crime within the city.

“We cannot sit back, sit idly by and watch people keep dying in Jackson, Mississippi,” Stokes said at the time.

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