It is a title that no city wants, but Edmonton’s 28th homicide has confirmed its dubious distinction as the murder capital of Canada.

The Ottawa edition of the Epoch Times documents that the latest victim was 57-year-old William Arthur Reid Hill, found in a home north of the city’s downtown core, an area where most of the other murders have occurred. An autopsy confirmed he died of “blunt-force trauma” and charges have been laid against two men.

The highest record of homicides in Edmonton was 39 in 2005, when the city earned the nickname “Deadmonton.” If the death toll continues at its current rate of four per month, it could surpass that record.

By comparison, Calgary has three homicides so far this year. Toronto has 24, Montreal 17, and Vancouver 14. Edmonton’s tally of 28 makes it far higher than any other Canadian city, especially considering it has the fifth largest population.

The Edmonton Police Commission reported that there is no “clear, discernible pattern” that can be linked to the increased homicides, but the majority of offenders and victims have been young, white males who knew each other.

The Edmonton Police Service has said conflicts are often due to escalating anger and confrontation, and fuelled by drugs or alcohol.

Bill Pitt, a criminology professor at Grant MacEwan University, thinks social, cultural and institutional problems have “coalesced” in the city, leading to the rampant violence, and needs more attention from municipal politicians.

“The leadership in this city on the issue of homicides is non-existent,” says Pitt.

“When you start looking at domestic violence, access to alcohol, access to weapons, marginalization, huge debt issues, unemployment, etc.—we’ve got a problem, and saying we don’t have a problem doesn’t make the problem go away.”

Reference: Epoch Times