445 People Shot In LA So Far In 2021 As Violent Crime Spikes

LOS ANGELES, CA —Shootings have spiked dramatically in Los Angeles where 445 people have already been shot this year, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced Tuesday. It's a 73 percent spike over the first few months of last year and part of a disturbing trend of increasing violence in the city overall.

At the same time, residential and commercial burglaries are way down. Police believe the spike in violence and the drop in burglaries are tied to the shutdown — a time when more people stayed home and gun sales climbed locally.

So far 257 more people have been shot than in the same time last year, Moore said. Violent crime - namely homicides and aggravated assaults have risen 4.7 percent with 380 additional violent crimes. The city has had 108 homicides this year as of last Saturday, Moore said. Authorities are working to understand the spike as well as what can be done to combat it.

Much of the increase is gang-related. Homicides classified by the department as "gang-related" increased by 44% and represent just under half of shooting victims this year, according to Moore, and the city has experienced a 41% increase in victims shot in gang-related shootings.

Car thefts are also up 20 percent this year. However, there is hope that the motor vehicle thefts are leveling off, said Moore..

"I am encouraged that motor vehicle thefts do appear to have slowed as far as the rate of increase, just a month ago those numbers were exceeding 30% increase," Moore said.

He added that overall property crime has decreased by 2,725 incidents compared to this time last year, with decreases in residential and commercial burglaries, theft from vehicles and personal thefts, including a 27% reduction in personal thefts.

Moore said he believes these numbers reflect a "direct correlation" with the closing of some stores and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.