Charlotte ended 2009 with 57 homicides, the lowest total in 21 years, the Charlotte Observer reported Sunday.

Not only did the total number decline, the rate of killings also fell.

That was the good news.

When broken down by race, the numbers show that 80 percent of people killed last year were black -- a higher percentage than the previous year. Hispanics made up 5 percent of victims. Four victims (about 7 percent) were white.

Charlotte, of course, was not the only city to see its homicide rate decline. Crime rates fell last year in most major cities, despite the bad economy.

Read more at CharlotteObserver.com.

Also, see the Observer’s interactive map showing where homicides occurred.
 

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