About

#SayThisName

This weekly listing of homicides in the District of Columbia is meant to help District residents and others who care about the city mark each loss to homicide.

With rare exception, listings here are taken from the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department Newsroom, where homicide investigations are shared with the public. For years, Chris and Laura Amico maintained the powerful and useful website, Homicide Watch DC. In December 2014, the local site ceased regular publication when the couple moved to Boston and no one stepped up to take on their crucial work here. I am not able to continue all their work, either. But I am committed to creating a list of names that individuals and congregations can use to keep these losses in mind.

For several years, this blog provided summary data by age of victim, type of incident, location of incident and victim residence, etc. On request, there was also a list of gun-violence victims separate from other homicides. Other materials were also provided in years past (see additional archival stuff). Now, it’s all I can do to make sure that each name is mentioned.

Additional Archival Stuff

Community resources for responding to gun violence (2016)

Another older list of resources

Older background data and more background (also old)

#SeekCityPeace

See also Songeveryday for more on the prophetic command to “Seek the peace of the city” where one dwells.

It has been one of my deepest prayers that we can find ways, as individuals in a divided society — and, where appropriate, in our various worship communities — to ensure that our prayers and public worship reflect the welfare of our own city, specifically, while never losing cite of our wider place as citizens of the world. One place to start: Each of us, and all of our houses of worship, must acknowledge the violent losses of its citizens, even if those lost and their primary mourners are not members of the congregation.

For more on the “author,” although all I’m doing at present is repeating what MPD tells us, author’s website. To contact the blogger regarding content or questions, write ethreporter at gmail