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It's not just Mister Softee trucks that come out when the summer season begins. So do murderers! The Times combed through crime stats for the past few years and confirmed what had long been conventional wisdom, namely that "when the temperatures rise, people hit the streets, and New York becomes a distinctively lethal place." September, it turns out, is the single most murderous month, followed by August. (In case you're curious, Saturday night around 10pm is the deadliest time to be out and about.)

The Times also put together a chart of all the murders that have taken place in NYC over the past five years. (That "invisible line" on 96th Street on the Upper East Side doesn't look so invisible now, does it?)

Here are a few other stats to keep in mind as you head into summer: Brooklyn leads the way in the murder department, the 73rd Precinct is the single deadliest in the city, and the bloodiest block in town "was in the 77th Precinct, in Crown Heights, bounded by Schenectady Avenue, Sterling Place, Troy Avenue and St. Johns Place."

Oh, and there's a 60 percent chance that if you do get killed, it will be because you were shot with a gun. The Times didn't detail what all the other options were, but we're not going to think about that right now, if you don't mind.

In Heat of Summer, and of the Moment, Murder Grows More Likely [NYT]