FBI UCR Homicide Data — 21 recorded incidents
Erie has recorded homicide rates that have climbed in recent years as the city's economy has struggled with industrial job loss and the opioid crisis that has hit Pennsylvania's northern tier hard. The city's homicide geography is concentrated in the bayfront and East Side neighborhoods, where poverty and limited social services have created conditions for persistent violent crime. Erie's police department has struggled with staffing shortages, and the city's homicide clearance rate has fallen below 50%. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Erie homicide tracker.
Erie, Pennsylvania has recorded 21 homicides over the tracked period, with 24 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #194 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 19% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 4 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 38% of cases with weapon data), with unknown as the next-most-frequent categories. The single deadliest month on record was August 2022, with 5 homicides logged.
Erie's homicide rate is 77% below the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 10 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Erie Police Department, which filed 21 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Pennsylvania state homicide data page. The Erie metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.