COLUMBUS, Ohio — Despite a violent Monday night, homicide numbers are down compared to the previous year in Columbus.
According to the most recent data from the Columbus Division of Police, there have been fewer than 20 homicides so far this year. As of Monday morning, there have been 18 homicides in the city of Columbus.
Compare that to 50 at the same time last year, 30 in 2022 and 58 in 2021.
One woman credits hard work for the lower homicide rate, but says she's optimistic there is more work to be done.
It’s been almost fours years since Rhonda Clayborn's son, Andre, was shot and killed.
“It's put a whole in my heart. It has devastated his brothers because he was a big brother. He thought he had to do everything a big brother had to do to take care of his younger brothers,” she explained.
Clayborn is a member of Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children.
“We don't want another mother to join this group,” she said.
The Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children group is working on “Under Triple Digits,” a campaign to keep the homicide number under 100.
Clayborn is looking toward answers of what else can be done to ensure the number does not increase.
“The data-driven information that we have and knowing east side, west side, where are our triggers at. What can we do in the communities? What can we do with our youth?” she said. "As a collective city, put our minds together and work together, it will bring about a change. I think it is happening for us."