Darnell Gaither, 34, was a basketball coach leaving a recreation center where he taught the sport he loved.
Dwight Evans, 32, ran a store in the back of a Madison Street church.
Harold Robinson, 39, was a security guard at Baltimore?s Club International.
Each of these men was fatally shot in February, in and around the places they worked and volunteered. Their deaths were among 17 homicides in Baltimore during that month. The total for the year so far is 45.
Police have solved only three of February?s murders and just nine for the year.
Baltimore police spokesman Matt Jablow said the department?s commanders want to see more closed cases.
“Obviously, we’d like the clearance rate to be higher than it is right now,” he said. “But we’re confident that it will increase to our normal 60 [percent] to 65 percent clearance rate, which is normally at or near the national average.”
Jablow added that Baltimore?s homicide detectives this year have solved 11 murders from previous years.
Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Ed Norris said it?s too early in the year to begin worrying about the number of solved homicides.
“In the first two months of the year, it?s not a big deal,” Norris said. “But if that were to keep up, it would be troublesome.”
More concerning, Norris said, is the city?s unabated murder rate in which an average of two people ? usually young blacks ? are killed every three days.
The city is on pace for 278 homicides for 2007, and each of February?s 17 murder victims was a black male.
“Could you imagine if 300 white kids were killed in this city?” Norris said. “The National Guard would be on every corner. There?s a genocide going on, and everyone?s ignoring it. It?s just disgraceful.”
Calvin Pettigrew, senior pastor at People?s Church of Baltimore, grew up in West Baltimore and has watched the city deteriorate.
“When I lived here it was a completely different environment,” he said. “There was more community, and there was respect for the church, not like today. You felt pretty safe on the streets, and you could go wherever in the dark and feel no hesitation. [Now] you don?t walk the streets at night if you don?t have a knowledge of the area.”
Many have moved out of the city to avoid its increasing violence. Others have chosen to stay and fight back.
Sharon McMahan-Lowe is one of those fighters.
With Walker Gladden, a former drug dealer, McMahan-Lowe counsels about 50 troubled youths at the Rose Street Community Center, which provides job and education opportunities.
McMahan-Lowe?s son, Juan, was 17 when he was shot to death on July 14, 2004.
“What these kids are missing is that positive male role model,” McMahan-Lowe said of the boys she counsels. “They cannot raise themselves. These kids, they never get a hug; they neverget any kisses. I hug them.”
On Feb. 8, Gladden and about 30 others from the community center walked from Baltimore to Washington as a part of March Against Murder to raise attention to what Gladden calls an “epidemic” of killing.
“People are killing people, and they don?t even know why,” Gladden said. “Most become aware once they get sentenced to life in prison. Then they ask, ?How did I get to this point in my life?? ”
“Education and employment are the two keys to reducing crime in the city,” Gladden said. “If you could get jobs for all the kids who want jobs, you would reduce the violence immediately.”
By the numbers
» February homicide total: 17
» February homicides solved: 3
» 2007 homicide total: 45
» 2007 homicides solved: 9
» 2007 police involved shooting deaths: 1
» Deadliest Day: Feb. 19, with three homicides in a 10-hour time span
» Oldest victim: Desmond Tucker, 52, of Baltimore, who was shot inside the Sugar Hill Tavern Feb. 2
» Youngest victim: Vic Fenner, 17, of Baltimore, who was shot in the face on the corner of Guilford Avenue and 21st Street
» Manner of death: 16 of 17 by gun shots
» Homicide comparisons: New York City reported 51 through Feb. 25; Philadelphia 41; Washington 25
Source: Baltimore City, Philadelphia, Washington and New York police departments
| February Murders | ||
| 1 | Feb. 1, Ryan Holliman | 3500 2nd Street |
| 2 | Feb. 2, Desmond Tucker | 2300 Druid Hill Ave. |
| 3 | Feb. 8, Darnell Gaither | 800 3rd Street |
| 4 | Feb. 10, Dwight Evans | 2400 East Madison |
| 5 | Feb. 11, Alusine Kamara | 1800 West Baltimore |
| 6 | Feb. 11, Harold Robinson | 2300 West Baltimore |
| 7 | Feb. 17, George Baskerville | 3700 Oakmont Ave. |
| 8 | Feb. 18, David Frasier | 1000 Branch Water Court |
| 9 | Feb. 19, Darnell Cain | 2300 East Fayette Street |
| 10 | Feb. 19, Brian Lessane | 1000 North Broadway |
| 11 | Feb. 19, Charles Pace | 2300 Barclay Street |
| 12 | Feb. 20, Andre Jones | 1800 Clifton Ave. |
| 13 | Feb. 21, Daniel Savage | 1500 North Bradford Street |
| 14 | Feb. 23, AntonioHarris | 1600 McKean Ave. |
| 15 | Feb. 24, William Duck | 200 South Fulton |
| 16 | Feb. 26, Vernon Carter | 1800 West Lanvale |
| 17 | Feb. 26, Vic Fenner | Guilford Avenue and 21st Street |
Suspects facing trial
» Eugene Parker, 31, of Baltimore, and Dwayne Gwynn, 34, of Baltimore, are charged with first-degree murder in the Feb. 11 shooting death of Harold Robinson inside the Club International Bar.
» Alton Teel, 42, of Baltimore, is charged with the Feb. 21 murder of Daniel Savage, who was found shot to death in the 1500 block of North Bradford Street.
» Gregory Johnson, 21, of Baltimore, is charged with first-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Vernon Carter, who was shot multiple times in the head on the 1800 block of West Lanvale. Johnson was caught fleeing the scene.
Month’s first victim had dreams of law school
Greg Smith contributed to this article.
