FBI UCR Homicide Data — 16 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, Maryland has recorded 16 homicides over the tracked period, with 18 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #275 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 38% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 6 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 50% of cases with weapon data), with firearm - type unknown, firearm - rifle, unknown as the next-most-frequent categories.
Oakland's homicide rate is 83% below the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 5 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Oakland Police Department, which filed 16 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Maryland state homicide data page. The Oakland metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.