Denver Police: Teen Homicides Higher In 2020 Compared To Year Before

DENVER (CBS4)- It's a statistic that is alarming and a cause for concern in the community. The number of teenagers being killed in Denver is on the rise.

Although there is no specific trend leading to this spike, Denver police told CBS4's Britt Moreno that the coronavirus pandemic in conjunction with economic pressure contributed to the surge in teen homicides.

"Twenty-twenty was like no other year and co-occurring pandemic and economic insecurity likely played a role in the increase" said Denver Police spokesman Douglas Schepman.

Last year, 11 teens ranging in age from 13 to 18 years old were murdered. In 2019, six teenagers were killed in that same age group.

The data of young people, including preteens which are those children ranging in age from 11 to 19 years old, shows there were 14 homicide victims in 2020 compared to nine in that age group in 2019. Domestic violence cases remained stagnant. There were 10 domestic violence-related homicides for both 2019 and 2020.

Police have solved just over half of these cases, which resulted in arrests. However, there are some cases that remain open, which means loved ones are still without closure or justice.