FBI UCR Homicide Data — 96 recorded incidents
Baton Rouge has one of the highest per-capita homicide rates of any American city its size, driven by the city's position as a regional hub for narcotics trafficking along Interstate 10 and the drug trade that flows through Louisiana's industrial corridor. Louisiana's habitual offender law — which allows life sentences for repeat offenders — has done little to deter homicide, which remains persistently elevated. The city's geographic layout, with homicide concentrations in the northern part of the city around the Airport and Florida Boulevard corridors, reflects patterns of racial and economic segregation that have defined the city's development since the Civil War. Baton Rouge gained national attention with the 2023 arrest of a man in connection with a string of murders that dated back to 2020. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Baton Rouge homicide tracker.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana has recorded 96 homicides over the tracked period, with 120 victims identified.. The city ranks #22 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 15% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 14 of those incidents.
Firearms — predominantly firearm - handguns — account for 45% of homicides with weapon data, followed by firearm - type unknown, knife/cutting instrument. The highest single month on record was August 2022, with 12 homicides.
Baton Rouge's homicide rate is near the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 50 cases remain under investigation. The primary reporting agency was Baker Police Department, which filed 83 incident reports. See also our Louisiana state homicide data page for broader context. The Baton Rouge metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.