Little Rock detectives on Sunday had only begun investigating the city's 25th homicide of the year when they were called to this year's 26th slaying.
The first occurred at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday at 1721 Pinewood Drive, about a mile southeast of Interstate 630's South University Avenue exit, according to a police report.
Police found Malik Mumit, 45, of Little Rock lying in the yard next to his motorcycle after responding to reports of shots fired, Little Rock Police Department spokesman Lt. Steve McClanahan said.
Mumit, who had been shot several times, died at the scene.
[INTERACTIVE MAP: 2016 Little Rock homicides]
Detectives questioned one person of interest, but they later released him without charges, McClanahan said.
No information about a possible suspect was available, but McClanahan said detectives suspect Mumit's slaying is drug-related.
"That area is known for that," he said. "That's one of our areas that's downtown and is identified as a problem area where we're trying to make some progress."
Police found the weekend's second homicide victim at a west Little Rock apartment complex after receiving an "unknown trouble" complaint, McClanahan said.
A screaming woman met responding officers outside a unit at Shadow Lake Apartments, 13111 W. Markham St., yelling that her boyfriend had been shot, McClanahan said.
Police found the man, who was identified as Robert Ryan Hunter, 26, inside with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The apartments sit in a part of the city that usually sees very little crime, but the complex was the scene of another shooting last month involving a boyfriend and girlfriend, according to a police report.
Ben Brown, 35, of Little Rock suffered a gunshot wound in his leg in that case, which was reportedly over a dispute about $75. The wound was not life-threatening.
Many people gathered outside of building 27 -- where the shooting occurred -- on Sunday at the Shadow Lake Apartments. A light rain fell as detectives questioned residents returning from church.
Police don't suspect a connection in the weekend's slayings, but McClanahan pleaded for public help, explaining that the department encouraged members of the public to come forward with information about the shootings even anonymously.
He added that the city has seen an uptick in homicides from this time last year, when there had been 23 homicides.
"We're going to do our part as police, but this is not something that we can do alone," he said.
Metro on 09/19/2016