The Florence Police Department saw a spike in homicides within city limits in 2018.
According to Lt. Mike Brandt with the Florence Police, the department investigated nine homicides in 2018.
He told News13 that one of the nine was the shooting on Sopkin Avenue, which was ruled a ‘justified homicide’.
Lt. Brandt also said the number does not include the officer-involved shooting that happened in July at the Hilton Garden Inn, because it was investigated by SLED.
Here’s how the nine homicides compared to previous years in the city of Florence:
- 2017: 5
- 2016: 1
- 2015: 4
- 2014: 2
- 2013: 2
News13 has reached out to a number of cities and counties in our area for information on this topic, including the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, which also saw an increase in the homicide rate in 2018.
As we receive updates from other cities and counties, we will post them on WBTW.com.