City’s homicide rate on the rise

Three fatal shootings late Monday and early Tuesday lifted the number of criminal homicides in Indianapolis to 43 so far this year—19 more homicides than during the same time 2012, police say. Violent crime, however, is down 2 percent in the city overall compared with a year ago, and overall crime is down by 10 percent. Public Safety Director Troy Riggs said a larger-than-usual number of people arriving back from prison and an influx of heroin are driving the murder rate upward.