FBI UCR Homicide Data — 167 recorded incidents
Kansas City's homicide rate has spiked dramatically in recent years, placing Missouri among the top states for per-capita murder rates. The violence is heavily concentrated in Kansas City's east side neighborhoods, where poverty, lack of economic opportunity, and gang activity have created persistent cycles of lethal conflict. The city gained national attention after a 2023 mass shooting at the Super Bowl victory parade for the Kansas City Chiefs left one woman dead and over 20 injured — a case involving a teenage suspect. Kansas City has also been the scene of high-profile domestic murder cases, including the 2022 slaying of radio personality Dre's mother. FBI UCR data feeds The Murder Channel's Kansas City homicide tracker.
Kansas City, Missouri has recorded 167 homicides over the tracked period, with 201 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #12 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 11% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 19 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 41% 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 May 2022, with 17 homicides logged.
Kansas City's homicide rate is 80% above the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 82 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Grandview Police Department, which filed 143 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Missouri state homicide data page. The Kansas City metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.