City sees a rising homicide rate
A fatal shooting Thursday boosted Dayton’s number of deaths to 30 for the year.
Thursday night’s homicide DAYTON — on Xenia Avenue upped Dayton’s 2016 total to 30 more than — the year-end totals of the past four years. The city is on pace for 40 homicides this year, which would be the highest number since 2009.
Dayton police have made arrests in 13 of the homicide cases, while the other 17 are characterized as open and “investigation pending,” according to police statistics requested by this news organization.
The man found shot to death in a Xenia Avenue apartment on Thursday was identified as 19-year-old Leon Stanley Smith Jr., according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. The coroner’s office said Smith died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.
Dayton police said the shooting remains under investigation, but that “illicit drugs” appear to be involved. Smith was arrested Aug. 1 on a charge of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, according to Dayton police records.
Police said Smith was not a resident of the apartment at 371 Xenia Ave., but was staying there. Police also said they are looking for one shooter, but there might be more people with the shooter.
A report of shots fired into a house a few blocks away near the time of the homicide appears unrelated, police said.
Crews were dispatched at 11:29 p.m. and police scanner traffic indicated officers taped off the entire block for the investigation. Homicide detectives conducted interviews with neighbors and possible witnesses.
Initial reports indicated a suspect vehicle speeding away might have been involved in a crash, but a location or crash scene has not been located.
Dayton had 29 homicides in 2015 and 27 each in 2014, 2013 and 2012. The city had 36 in 2011, 35 in 2010 and 40 in 2009, according to police department statistics.