With two months left in the year, Winnipeg has now seen the same number of homicides recorded during the city’s most violent year on record.
Winnipeg police announced the city’s 44th homicide of 2022 on Monday.
The latest victim is a man police say was found unresponsive near a home in the 100 block of Johnson Avenue West around 2:30 a.m. Monday.
The unidentified man was rushed to hospital in critical condition where he later died.
Police have not released any further information about the victim, including his age or how he was killed.
His death ties the homicide record set in Winnipeg in 2019.
Const. Jay Murray admits it’s a grim statistic.
“That’s 44 families that have endured quite a bit of pain, losing a loved one — but it’s also resulted in a significant amount of work for the Winnipeg Police Service,” Murray said.
“Homicide investigations are some of our most intensive matters that we investigate. Typically there’s a lot of resources that are deployed.
“The homicide number itself is indicative of some of the violence in general that we’ve seen this year here.”
Murray said police are dealing with the city’s murder rate one day at a time.
Earlier this month, Murray told Global News that high levels of violent crime were placing a strain on police resources.
“There’s been a general rise in levels of violence that we really haven’t seen before,” Const. Murray said Oct. 3, after announcing the city’s 41st homicide of the year.
“The homicide number certainly impacts the Winnipeg Police Service. Homicides require an incredible number of resources.”
Anyone with information on the latest homicide can call investigators at 204-786-TIPS.
— with files from Marney Blunt and Sam Thompson