This is a good example of how one spree of killings, whether a serial killer or a burst of gang violence, can have a disproportionate effect on the "normal" crime rate when we are dealing with small populations. Almost 20% of our homicides are apparently the work of one person, which doesn't indicate "society is getting more violent" nor that there is a general "increase in crime."

This is why we need to look at trends over time, not simply compare a year only to the year previous.