Homicide Rates Down in Fort Wayne and Allen County - Indiana's NewsCenter


ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - An autopsy will reveal if an early morning shooting death on Ainsley Drive, southwest of Fort Wayne, was a homicide. If so, it would be the first Allen County homicide outside of city limits in 2011.

In 2010, the Allen County Sheriff's Department investigated two homicides. One remains under investigation. An arrest was made in the second case, but prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges.

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Inside city limits, the Fort Wayne Police Department has investigated 18 homicides in 2011. That down from 28 in 2010. More than half of 2010 homicides have been solved. So far in 2011, arrests have been made in seven homicides.

Furthermore, two other homicides have been cleared, or solved. The first was a stabbing on October 4th determined to be justifiable homicide. Prosecutors concluded that 46-year-old Keith Hargrove acted in self defense when he fatally stabbed 34-year-old Jamie Zimmerman on Washington Blvd.

The second cleared homicide was a murder-suicide on Beaver Ave. on October 27th. Police say 54-year-old Tanya Armour shot and killed 56-year-old Grady Edwards before fatally shooting herself.

Police say neighborhood watch type programs are partially to thank for this year's decrease in homicides, but most homicides are still committed in the heat of the moment.

Fort Wayne Police Department Spokesperson, Raquel Foster, says, "It's really hard to curtail that type of violence. That's why the key is just to remove the weapons off the streets and get the weapons out of the hands of irresponsible individuals who really shouldn't have weapons in the first place."

Meanwhile, domestic violence, drugs, and gang violence remain a common thread in many homicide investigations, although police say there are always exceptions.

Police also say that while CrimeStoppers (260-436-STOP) is a valuable and anonymous way to generate tips, people should still be willing to testify in court if a suspect goes to trial.


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