GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — There are both encouraging and troubling trends in Grand Rapids when it comes to crime. Homicides are down so far this year compared to 2020, however other violent crimes are up.
In addition, more guns were recovered in the city this year compared to the last several years.
With two days left in the year, there have been 19 homicides to date in the city of Grand Rapids. That's a 50% drop from 2020 when there were 38 homicides, making 2020 the deadliest year on record. In 2019, there were 17 and in 2018, there were 9.
Out of the 19 homicide cases this year, our data shows 7 arrests were made and 1 warrant was issued.
"Some of the tips we receive provide the police the piece of the crime puzzle and it's very helpful," said Chris Cameron, the Executive Director of the Silent Observer. "Some of them lead to the arrest of someone committing a felony crime."
Cameron said they received 1,700 tips this year in Kent County which is a yearly average, and of those, hundreds of tips on homicides.
"Having these answers and giving that information to help them solve this case is just critical. It's critical to the victim families' healing."
Even though homicides are down this year, a spokesperson for GRPD said other violent crimes are up including shootings, attempted murder, assault with firearms, and assault with firearms with injuries.
GRPD data shows 578 guns were recovered January 1 through December 28. That's 17% more than last year, as well as the previous five years.
"The police can't do it alone. They need the community participating in a collective fight against crime," Cameron said.
We did reach out to GPRD for an interview, but their spokesperson was unavailable Wednesday.
If you have any information that can help solve any of these crimes, you're asked to call GRPD detectives at 616-456-3380 or through Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or www.silentobserver.org.
Here's our detailed list of homicides in 2021 in Grand Rapids:
1. Jan. 3, 2021 - 65-year-old Sandra Carter was shot and killed in the 1200 block of Alpine Ave. NW. Authorities arrested 23-year-old Andre Dimetre Sims on open murder, felony firearm and habitual offender charges.
Story: https://bit.ly/3FFTUxg
2. March 7, 2021 - Authorities found 27-year-old Anthony Crump shot to death. Days later, police arrested 26-year-old Devon James Cole in the killing.
Story: https://bit.ly/3JtH5J1
3. April 9, 2021 - Nicholas Purnell, 28, was shot and killed inside Stuyvesant Apartments on 140 Madison Ave. SE on April 9, 2021. The suspect in the killing, 17-year-old Andre Jermaine Hollowell, turned himself in.
Story: https://bit.ly/32ICSjM
4. May 20, 2021 - Rodney Burrell was killed in the 1600 block of Derbyshire in southeast Grand Rapids.
5. May 29, 2021 - 15-year-old Ju'Qwon Lamar Calvin was shot and killed on Prince Street near Alton Ave.
Story: https://bit.ly/3ewn7Pp
6. June 20, 2021 - Police responded to a shooting in the area of Ellsworth Avenue SW and Grandville Avenue SW. That's where police found a vehicle had crashed, leaving 21-year-old Travon Jeffrey-Jamont Seawood dead, and another person seriously hurt.
Police arrested Harold Martell Brewer II in connection with the killing.
Story: https://bit.ly/3sINmdU
7. June 25, 2021 - 33-year-old Arthur Deonte Brown was found shot and killed in a parking lot near Madison Avenue SE and 28th Street SE.
Story: https://bit.ly/3FFCQaK
8. July 9, 2021 - Jonathan Williams was killed near Shelby Street and Division Avenue Southwest.
9. July 25, 2021 - Police found 43-year-old Michael Jennings in the middle of the street. Police said he was shot to death, and another victim arrived at a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Story: https://bit.ly/3qCBU0N
10. Aug. 22, 2021 - 27-year-old Lamont Nelson was shot and killed in the 1500 block of Linden Ave SE, and four others were also injured in the melee.
Story: https://bit.ly/3pAHf9f
11. Sept. 5, 2021 - Deputies in the area of Monroe Avenue NW and Fulton Street located Cody Dahlquist, who was unresponsive and had been assaulted. He regained consciousness and was taken to a local hospital with injuries from the assault.
Dahlquist died from a traumatic brain injury on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Police are now investigating the case as a homicide. Story: https://bit.ly/3qsKJdk
12 & 13. Sept. 8, 2021 - 24-year-old Marissa Valdez was shot to death inside a northeast side apartment. She was pregnant at the time.
Authorities say they arrested a person of interest who was at the scene, who police have identified as 24-year-old Dealeyon Jaishawn Franklin, of Grand Rapids.
Story: https://bit.ly/32rvd9P
14. Oct. 1, 2021 - Police say Anthony Curtis McConer, 20, was the victim of an Oct. 1 shooting. The incident happened around 7 p.m. in the 400 block of Highland Street SE. Upon arrival, officers found McConer inside a parked car, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Story: https://bit.ly/3eFkiLP
15. Oct. 19, 2021 - 20-year-old Kendall Frost was shot and killed at the corner of Griggs Street SE and Paris Avenue SE.
Story: https://bit.ly/3qFo7Xk
16. Oct. 22, 2021 - Demarcus Brown, 30, was shot on Oct. 22 around 9:15 p.m. in the 200 block of Highland Street SE. Police arrested Dashawn Toliver for his death.
Story: https://bit.ly/3EJPZ1u
17 & 18. Nov. 25, 2021 - Victor Alphonso Bustamante-Meza, 34, and Artemio Zacarius-Ortiz, 23, were shot on Nov. 24 in the 1900 block of Stafford Avenue NW.
The Kent County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled both of these deaths as a homicide.
Story: https://bit.ly/31bTZtQ
19. Dec. 24, 2021 - Hope Latrese Cutts, 43, was shot and killed on Christmas Eve.
The suspect, 33-year-old Dequan Nelson, was arraigned and charged in the death.
Story: https://bit.ly/3mFR0Bg
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