Washington, D.C., marked a grim milestone over the weekend after it recorded 100 homicides by July 10 – the earliest the city has hit that number since 2003. 

Willie Parker, 45, was the 100th homicide recorded in D.C. after was found dead of a gunshot wound just before 11 p.m. on Friday.

The D.C. Police Union claimed that the average date over the past 10 years by which the city usually hits 100 homicides is Oct. 25. Over the past two years, though, the city has recorded a repeated spikes, Fox 5 DC reported. 

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This year’s increase in homicides is a noticeable spike over last year’s 20% increase. 

In 2019 and 2018, the city hit 100 homicides in August, but the city hit the mark on July 12 in 2020, according to WTOP News. 

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Mayor Muriel Bowser has pointed to a number of factors, including the pandemic, kids out of school and a rise in joblessness, but the union places blame for the surge on police reform and policies. 

Minnesota police have faced similar rises in crime, and also pointed to police reform and the “defund” movement as significant hurdles in their efforts to close cases. 

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“They believe that the police are not or cannot do anything – that the police are not legitimate,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Craig Enevoldsen told Fox News. “Although my city council has never said this, across the state and across the country you’re seeing this discussion about dismantling police departments, defunding police departments, demanding officers be terminated or use of force incidents.”

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“They literally are antagonizing the police when we get to these scenes,” he explained. “It makes investigations incredibly difficult.”