CENTRAL OHIO -- Violent crime has decreased for the second year in a row on the national level.
In 2008, murder was down 3.9 percent and aggravated assault was down 2.5 percent. Other crimes such as burglary went up by 2 percent in 2008.
Click here to search the database of FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
How did the Buckeye state fare, and what do these numbers mean to the victims?
FBI numbers from 2008 tell a story of a dip in crimes around the nation.
Fewer murders and aggravated assaults, but here in Ohio those same numbers are slightly up.
For families of crime victims, the numbers can't tell someone exactly how crime can alter lives.
Cindy Bryan lost her 34-year-old son in April when he was gunned down outside a Southeast Side business.
Michael Thomas was about to graduate. He'd seen the world and made dozens of friends. It all ended with a gunshot.
Bryan said for years she looked at the paper and glossed over crime stats. That all changed when authorities knocked on her door.
Other victims said they feel a bit different.
Last year, a King Avenue carryout was hit twice in one week by an armed gunman.
Employees said it took some time for them to feel safe and comfortable but that changed with time and the arrest of a suspect.
Bryan doesn't have those feelings of security because her son's killer remains on the loose.
She said she hoped someone will step up with information and claim the $5,000 reward.
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