LA set to break murder record

LOS ANGELES - The city has just completed the most lethal month in its history, despite a partial truce by its black gangs declared after the riots four months ago, writes Phil Reeves.

During August, the county coroner's office investigated 263 possible homicides: nine more than the previous record, set in July. This year there have been 1,753 reported homicides, suggesting 1992 is set to become the bloodiest year on record. The weekend before last there were 45 homicides, only eight fewer than the death toll in the riots, the worst in urban America this century.