Police in Puerto Rico say the island has matched a 1994 record for homicides with the killing of three people in separate incidents overnight.
A police statement issued Wednesday says the shooting of a 39-year-old man in the town of Humacao brought the year’s total to 995. That’s about 150 more than all of last year. The other deaths overnight were a teenager and a 25-year-old man, both in the capital.
Puerto Rico has struggled in recent years with violent crime fueled by the island’s drug trade. The island of four million people has tried a number of strategies, including replacing its police chief and enlisting the help of federal authorities to solve violent crimes.
