Unofficial 2007 Murder Rate: 494

At this point, it appears that NYC had 494 murders during 2007. This is the unofficial number, as the NYPD has until January 15 to reclassify some 2007 deaths, if their investigations indicate they should, to homicides.

The last murder of 2007 seems to be that of Jason Gonzales of the Bronx. His family said he was killed last night during an argument between his 13-year-old daughter and the gunman's girlfriend. His brother said, "It was a rolling of the eyes between his 13-year-old daughter and the guy's girlfriend and it just escalated from there. We're destroyed."

There were 596 murders in 2006; the most murders since data has been collected was in 1990, with 2,224 murders. And for 2008, four people have been killed in today's early hours. The first, at 2:09AM, occurred in Brooklyn, the other three in the Bronx.

Photograph of March 2007's West Village shooting where three were killed by a shooter (who was eventually shot by the police) by Charles Edouard Jottras/AP