Good morning! The Christmas tree is back on the roof of the Coast. The Salvation Army’s kettle campaign is underway. I heard carols at the pet store. The season is here. Unfortunately, some sad news today but I think it’s good to put these sorts of incidents in context where we can. But first, the other news:

• A good read in the Prince George Post on the changing demographics of the city, focused on how most of the growth over the past four years has been immigrants who are people of colour.

• Just a note that there will be an emergency alert test at 1:55 pm today, so don’t be alarmed when it happens.

• Northern Health is urging people to get vaccinated against influenza as Canada enters an epidemic of the disease.

2022 one of Prince George’s deadliest years

RCMP are investigating the sixth homicide of the year, a fatal shooting at the bottom of the stairs up Connaught Hill.

According to Statistics Canada data, that makes 2022 the second-deadliest since 1998, tied with 2021 and just behind 2010, which saw seven homicides total (by the way, a homicide is a specific legal term for when someone kills someone else, without attributing motive).

On a per capita basis, 2010 is higher still because of the lower population at the time.

Police say Monday night’s homicide was likely targeted and, as a result the “public is not at risk.

Here’s a recap of the homicides so far this year:

• Jan. 25, 38-year-old man died in hospital after being found at corner of Porter and Oak in the VLA.

• March 12, 44-year-old man found dead on 600-block of Irwin St.

• March 27, 20-year-old man died in hospital after being found with “apparent gunshot wounds” on 1800 block of Spruce St.

(all three of these were blamed on gang violence)

• June 11, 28-year-old stabbed in “commercial dwelling” on Queensway.

• Nov. 14, man “in his twenties” found shot near Connaught Hill.

• RCMP also tell MyPGNow there was an undisclosed sixth homicide that they are not releasing public details on.

It’s always tough to gauge these things. As people like to point out when being asked about the relative danger of Prince George, it’s not like random people are being killed in drive-bys, and that’s why police say things like “believed to be targeted” and “known to police” when describing incidents and victims. But it’s still people being killed and lives being lost, and that shouldn’t be downplayed, regardless of the circumstances leading up to it.

Here’s a good tweet: