Murders in St. Louis up from same period last year

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Killings are on the rise in St. Louis.

Police report 56 killings for this year through Tuesday, up from 37 in the same period last year.

The report came as St. Louis police made arrests in a high-profile crime this week -- a holdup of a business north of the downtown in which two people were shot to death.

Just last week, black leaders announced an initiative to reduce crime and violence in the city's struggling neighborhoods.

The "Call to Oneness" campaign includes a citizen march and door-to-door efforts to elicit crime information.