FBI UCR Homicide Data — 109 recorded incidents
Oakland has one of the highest homicide rates of any city in California, driven by violence in neighborhoods like East Oakland, West Oakland, and Fruitvale where decades of economic disinvestment, racial segregation, and the aftermath of the state's prison release policies have created persistent cycles of lethal conflict. The city's geographic position — between San Francisco and the methamphetamine-producing regions of the Central Valley — has made it a key distribution hub for narcotics, contributing to gang-related homicides. Oakland gained national notoriety with the 2023 shooting death of 15-year-old hockey prodigy Johnny Bingam Jr. by a 14-year-old at a community celebration, a case that highlighted the city's ongoing struggle with youth firearm violence. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Oakland homicide tracker.
Oakland, California has recorded 109 homicides over the tracked period, with 133 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #20 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 17% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 18 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 45% of cases with weapon data), with firearm - type unknown, knife/cutting instrument as the next-most-frequent categories. The single deadliest month on record was April 2022, with 12 homicides logged.
Oakland's homicide rate is near the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 54 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Albany Police Department, which filed 88 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our California state homicide data page. The Oakland metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.