Absence
What remains after the high emotion of a shooting are deteriorating corner memorials, life-size cutouts of victims, and the long, and hard struggling days for the family and friends left behind after the loss of their loved one. The United States has recorded its highest increase in homicides in modern history, rising 30% between 2019 and 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rochester, New York, hit a record-high number of homicides in 2021, totaling to 81. This leaves the city with a higher rate per capita of homicides than Chicago, Ill. Rochester is one among 16 cities across the country in 2021 to hit records for homicides.