Overview
- Baltimore ended 2025 with 133 homicides, a 31% decline from 194 in 2024 and the lowest annual total in at least half a century, according to city police data analyzed by the Baltimore Sun.
- City officials report nonfatal shootings fell by more than 25% in 2025, aligning with broader reductions across most crime categories tracked locally.
- Baltimore police adopted FBI guidance on classifying late deaths, shifting cases to the year of injury and removing four historical homicides from the 2025 tally, which remains subject to further updates.
- Tensions persist between Mayor Brandon Scott and State’s Attorney Ivan Bates after Bates ended direct coordination with the city’s violence-prevention office, even as police leaders emphasize continued collaboration with prosecutors, community groups and government partners.
- Preliminary Chicago Police Department data show 416 murders in 2025, the fewest since 1965, with sharp declines in shootings and shooting victims, as researchers note similar improvements in other large cities and caution against single-cause explanations.