Nashville criminal homicides most in more than a decade

• In 2016, Nashville had 84 criminal homicides, the highest since 97 people died in 2005.
• Homicides were up in other major cities, including 228 in Memphis, a record there.
• "Unfortunately, Nashville was not immune," Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson said.
• But the chief said he is heartened that fewer youth were slain in 2016 than the year before.

Criminal homicides in Nashville rose to 84 in 2016, marking the highest number of killings in the city since 97 people died in 2005.

At the same time, the year saw a 40 percent drop in youth killings over 2015, when 20 of the city's youths were slain — a total that prompted Mayor Megan Barry to launch an initiative aimed at curbing violence among the city's young people.

"It's just sad that so many people got killed for senseless crimes last year," said Joyce Seay, whose 24-year-old son, Deon Brown, was found stabbed to death in mid-November on the property of a West Nashville trucking business. "It's very (disheartening) we've jumped to that high of a rate in such a small period."

Police charged 26-year-old William Gadsden with criminal homicide in the case after they say he fatally wounded Brown before driving Brown’s 2009 Pontiac G6 to Hickory, N.C. Gadsden was later apprehended by U.S. Marshals in New York City and extradited to Tennessee.

"I'm just glad they got him and thankful to the detective who worked the case," said Seay, whose son's case is one of 41 cases from 2016 that police have cleared.

Read more: Police identify man killed at Western Express in West Nashville

Of those slain last year, 73 were male. All but 33 were African-American. The youngest gunshot victim was a 14-year-old boy.

Of the 84 criminal homicides in 2016, 12 of the victims were teenagers or younger. Two of them were infants who died as the result of abuse.

The prior year marked the highest number of youth deaths to hit Nashville in the past decade. Much of the city's violence that year played out among youths as acts of brutal retaliation for squabbles that police said were once settled by punches instead of bullets.

"Over the last year, Nashville has seen a dramatic decrease in youth homicide victims, and Metro police have worked hard to keep crime in check in 2016, resulting in a slight reduction in the crime rate overall even as our population continues to grow," said Barry, who during the first portion of the year created an action plan to reduce youth violence.

Read more: Mayor Barry calls on Nashville employers to step up for 10K youth job goal

The mayor's plan sought to identify challenges and needs, outline goals and objectives, recommend best practices and identify the city's shortcomings.

Police investigations also have taken more than 2,000 firearms off the streets in each of the past two years, Barry said.

But Barry called the increase in homicides in Nashville and in cities across the country last year concerning for all.

Memphis set a grim record with 228 homicides in 2016, eclipsing by 15 the previous record of 213 set in 1993. Nashville's all-time high for homicides was 112 in 1997.

With 762 killings, Chicago marked 2016 as the deadliest year in nearly two decades, data released by the Chicago Police Department shows.

"Unfortunately, Nashville was not immune," Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson said. "I am heartened that the number of juvenile homicide victims decreased significantly this year. Our city’s Youth Violence Reduction Initiative, led by Mayor Barry, and the accompanying follow-up work did, I believe, have a very positive impact."

At the same time, Anderson said he is concerned about "the seemingly nonchalant use of firearms against victims, many of whom we believe are in some way acquainted with the shooters."

More than 80 percent of 2016’s homicide victims were killed with firearms, records show.

"We, as a city, should also be cognizant of the significant disparate impact of homicide on African-American families," Anderson said.

Of those arrested in homicides last year, 71 percent are black.

The chief added, "Strategies related to the 2016 Youth Violence Reduction must continue into the future, with required broad reinforcement of the message from parents, extended families, neighbors, churches, schools and community leaders to all of Nashville."

Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at 615-259-8072 and on Twitter @nataliealund.

Nashville criminal homicides by year:

• 2016: 84
• 2015: 79
• 2014: 41
• 2013: 40
• 2012: 62
• 2011: 51
• 2010: 60
• 2009: 80
• 2008: 74
• 2007: 73
• 2006: 81
• 2005: 97

By the numbers

Males: 73

Females: 11

Victims younger than the age of 19: 12 

Black: 51

White: 23

Hispanic: 8

Asian: 1

Other: 1

Cases cleared: 41 

Open cases: 43 

Source: Metro Nashville Police Department