(CNN) Baltimore has marked a grim milestone.

The city has seen 303 homicides this year, more than in any year since 1999, said Jarron Jackson of the Baltimore Police Department.

In just the last few days, detectives in Baltimore have investigated six homicides, including five on Saturday, according to police figures.

"This challenging moment shall pass if we reject blame and embrace the hope, dreams, and promise of a great American city," Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said in a statement.

"Baltimore will win again, 2015 will not define us, and the nation will once again see our City for the determination that has long defined us."

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