Baltimore City Nearing 200 Homicides

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - There have been 199 homicides in Baltimore city since the beginning of the year.

“That’s right, and let me tell you, it’s going to get a lot worse than that; I can just see it. I’m not reading through any stars. There hasn’t been any stars in the sky for a long time," said Baltimore resident Rodney Reese.

The city is four homicides below where it was this time last year but still on track to surpass 300 murders for the sixth year in row.

"Baltimore is getting as bad or worse than Chicago, which is out of this world," said Baltimore resident Rodney Reese.

Rodney Reese says it's time people come together.

“We really need community effort here," he said.

The founder of Baltimore Ceasefire, Erricka Bridgeford, has made it her mission to bring the community together to fight the violence.

"It makes sense if there's already an epidemic happening and then another one comes on top of that, it's going to exacerbate all of the conditions that caused the first epidemic," she said.

It has not been easy, but Bridgeford won't give up hope.

"I know that people care about each other in Baltimore. I know that hopelessness exists in Baltimore and I know that love exists in Baltimore," she said. "If any place is built to heal a thing like murder and come up against a thing like murder, Baltimore is built for it."

A ceasefire weekend begins at midnight tonight.

The goal is zero murders.

You can find more information about this weekend's events here - https://baltimoreceasefire.com/.