Residents may voice their concerns regarding how extreme rates of violent crime are causing residents to fear going about their daily lives by emailing Mayor Skip Henderson directly at SkipHenderson@columbusga.org, while cc’ing their respective city council members on the email.

COLUMBUS, Ga. — A daytime armed robbery at the Peachtree Mall ended in gunfire in front of parents and their children.

 The horrific event is just the most recent example of the city’s extreme rate of violent crime.

As a result, locals continue to fear going about their daily lives in their own home town.

The event happened shortly after 11:30 on Tuesday, May 2, at the SB Jewelry & Sunglasses right in front of the Macy’s exit of the mall. Two armed suspects walked in and robbed the store, collecting what they could. Gunfire erupted just before the two men fled.

Thankfully, no one was injured in the shooting — though the events rightfully left many mall-goers with serious concerns for their safety here in the Fountain City.

THE PATTERN CONTINUES

The robbery and shooting on Tuesday morning is just the most recent example of violent crime spreading to new areas unchallenged. As criminals begin to get away with crime, that crime tends to repeat and escalate in new areas as territory expands. 

The type of event that occurred Tuesday was unfortunately extremely foreseeable to occur, as we at the Muckraker have continued to write for quite some time about how and why violent crime has continued to rise throughout Columbus.

Shootings, murders, carjackings, armed robbery, and sexual assaults are unfortunately becoming more prevalent in what were usually thought of as the “safer” parts of our sister-cities — and residents can’t help but notice. 

It isn’t just “happening everywhere.” Not like it is here. Columbus’ rate of violent crime is well above the national average. Columbus saw nearly 200 people shot last  year. With a population of roughly 205,000, that’s one out of every thousand residents shot; 0.1% of the population had literally taken a bullet in 2022. 

As criminals are left unopposed and our city continues to go under-policed, those criminals are left to spread violence to new places. 

This time, it was the Peachtree Mall in broad daylight. 

Just a few weeks ago, nine children were shot at a convenience store in North Columbus.

A few months ago, two men were murdered in cold blood on the RiverWalk.

Let’s take a look at that last example in particular.

SOFT ON CRIME POLICIES

In early December of 2022, a double-murder happened on the Phenix City riverwalk in broad daylight leaving two men shot to death while families gathered for a holiday parade just a few hundred feet away. The killer then fled across the 14th Street pedestrian bridge back into Columbus.

The shooter who allegedly committed those murders had just been released from prison. He had killed before and was sentenced to 20 years, but was only required to serve five. 

He was released.

Roughly a year later — just six years after the start of his twenty-year sentence and while still on probation — he illegally acquired a handgun and used it to murder two innocent people in broad daylight less than a hundred feet from a college campus and within earshot of a holiday parade full of children.

The man did this with no remorse and fled the scene, leaving his two victims dead from multiple gunshot wounds where they fell.

The example of December’s double-murder is unfortunately just one of hundreds of examples of how the early release of violent offenders has resulted in repeat offenders committing violent acts and taking the lives of innocent Columbusites.

Nonetheless, shameless officials continue to sell their souls as they transparently lie to the world about how aMaZiNg Columbus is. “Everything’s wonderful,” they proclaim. “Tourism is an economic development strategy,” they naively and childishly say.

TO OUR MAYOR

Grow up. This isn’t a game and there are no do-overs. 

If this city does not humble itself, stop believing its own bullsh*t, and put boots on the ground — and we mean now — our city will hit a point of critical mass at which it will no longer be able to save itself from the inevitability of becoming the next Detroit.

We are on that precipice right now. 

People cannot go shopping. They cannot go to the banks. They cannot go about their lives. They are moving. They aren't coming back. 

THE SOLUTION

Mr. Mayor, at this point, you don’t only look dumb: you look disingenuously so.

Here’s where you can start fixing it.

Whoever else is in your ear is either an inexperienced idiot or lying.

With a population of 205,617 people, the city’s current per-annum projected homicide rate is 36.14 per hundred-thousand residents, leaving it deadlier than many third-world countries.

Perhaps you, Mr. Mayor, ought to consider growing a spine and running our city before it continues to run you instead.

Residents may voice their concerns regarding how extreme rates of violent crime are causing residents to fear going about their daily lives by emailing Mayor Skip Henderson directly at SkipHenderson@columbusga.org, while cc’ing their respective city council members on the email.

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

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