CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Division of Police on Wednesday announced that the city recorded 118 total homicides in 2019.
The final number remains subject to change due to pending cases to be ruled by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. That number is also two criminal homicides less than the 2018 total of 120.
Cleveland's first homicide of 2020 happened just 15 minutes into the new year as a 31-year-old woman was shot and killed in the 5900 block of Merrill Avenue. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where she later died.
Police say the woman was shot by her boyfriend, who began firing rounds to celebrate the new year. The boyfriend, whose name has not been released, was arrested at the scene. Police have not specified charges against the 38-year-old man.
Police responded to several more shootings in the overnight hours of the new year.
There were five shooting incidents since midnight, including one outside a downtown Cleveland nightclub in which four people were shot.
A MetroHealth Medical Center spokesperson told 3News that the hospital received 11 shooting victims between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. New Year's Eve.