FBI UCR Homicide Data — 288 recorded incidents
Baltimore's homicide rate has surged dramatically since the 2015 death of Freddie Brown in police custody, which triggered a wave of officer retirements and a corresponding spike in violent crime as the department retreated from proactive policing. The city now records roughly 300 homicides per year in a city of just 600,000 — a per-capita rate that rivals some of the most violent cities in the world. Most killings go unsolved: Baltimore's homicide clearance rate has fallen to around 40%, one of the lowest of any major U.S. city. The city has a notorious legacy with serial killers — the case of the "Baltimore Strangler" in the 1980s terrorized women across the city — and more recently, the 2022 murder of 26-year-old tech worker Pava LaPere by a repeat-offending ex-convict sparked outrage. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Baltimore homicide tracker, connecting raw crime statistics to the communities experiencing the city's ongoing public safety crisis.
Baltimore, Maryland has recorded 288 homicides over the tracked period, with 329 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #7 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 19% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 55 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 44% 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 June 2022, with 28 homicides logged.
Baltimore's homicide rate is 210% above the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 145 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Baltimore City Sheriff's Office, which filed 232 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Maryland state homicide data page. The Baltimore metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.