BALTIMORE — With days left in 2023, Baltimore is set to finish the year with its lowest homicide total in years.
But the families of hundreds of people are still grieving, and dozens braved the elements Wednesday evening to remember them.
The names of each homicide victim this year were read aloud from a binder in Southwest Baltimore Wednesday night - at St. Joseph's Monastery Parish in Southwest Baltimore, outside on Frederick Ave, and inside at 'My Brother's Keeper,' a community resource center.
"What we do know is unfortunately, over the past year, a lot of people have lost their lives to gun violence. And we really want to acknowledge that and take steps to heal the community from the trauma the victims and their families have experienced," said Kevin Mason, director of Our Brother's Keeper.
Mason, and others from public and private organizations walked, many with candles in hand, to remember those victims. The walk, according to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, builds on the work of the organization's Grief Ministry.
"When you speak somebody's name, I think it's out of reverence and love that you bring them into the present moment," said Fr. Michael Murphy, Pastor of the monastery.
Progress in murder totals is promising - but, as Murphy points out, there are still grieving families in the city to keep in our hearts.
VIEW GALLERY: 2023 Not just a Number: Faces of Baltimore City's murder rate
"It can get really low and it's great that it's getting low, and you applaud those people really working hard to do it, but to a parent who's lost a child it's not going to mean a whole lot. So tonight it's about praying for them, and bringing them some peace and comfort, and letting them know that people haven't forgotten them," Murphy added.
According to WMAR's count, 258 people were killed in 2023 in as of December 27th. In 2022, the year-end number was 333, and in 2021, it was 337.
The Wednesday evening prayer walk was the first of its kind - it was scheduled between Christmas and New Years taking into account the difficulty of the holidays after losing a loved one, Murphy said.
