Emily Fisher, a 29-year-old Johns Hopkins University graduate student, was robbed at gunpoint in Bolton Hill on May 17, the night of her bachelorette party:
"I guess it may have changed my outlook on staying in Baltimore for the long term. We just got married, and if we had kids some day, it made me rethink if we'd want to raise them in the city or not."
FOR THE RECORD - An article in Sunday's editions mischaracterized two figures on crime in Baltimore. Violent crime as a whole in Baltimore in 2006 was down from 2005, but homicides increased by 2.6 percent, from 269 murders in 2005 to 276 in 2006.
THE SUN REGRETS THE ERROR
THE PREACHER
The Rev. Milton E. Williams lost a congregant, Barbara Griffin, 18, a member of his New Life Evangelical Baptist Church for more than 12 years. She was found dead in a courtyard at Bentalou Elementary School on June 11:
"It's more the sense of defeat that nothing we can do can stop the senseless killings and the senseless violence in Baltimore. The Police Department cannot give us the hope we need to stop this thing."
THE GREIVING MOTHER
Deborah Wilson's son, 24-year-old George Wilson, was shot and killed June 21 in Better Waverly when an occupant of a dark sedan fired into her son's car a few blocks from home. The 56-year resident is considering moving to Virginia:
"I can't deal with it. I've always been a strong person, but this - I can't deal with. My son's life was just sucked right out. ... To sit in the emergency room and not be able to hug your son and to tell your son `I love you.' I said that to my son every day. I am so hurt. So hurt. Because he didn't deserve to die like this."
THE HOMEOWNER
Rehka Thomas was shot in the chest May 7 when, expecting friends, she opened the door of her Ridgely's Delight home. She is moving to Tennessee with her husband.
"We're leaving. We put our house up for sale. Basically, if you can't feel safe in your home, where do you feel safe?"
CONTRIBUTORS
Contributing to this article were Sun reporters Laura Barnhardt, Julie Bykowicz, Gadi Dechter, John Fritz, Nicole Fuller, Jamie Smith Hopkins, Chris Kaltenbach, Mary Carole McCauley, Glenn McNatt, Sara Neufeld, Bill Ordine, Jill Rosen, M. William Salganik, Gus G. Sentementes, Julie Turkewitz, Childs Walker and Jeff Zrebiec.
