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.. 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.
Firearms — predominantly firearm - handguns — account for 38% of homicides with weapon data, followed by unknown. The highest single month on record was August 2022, with 5 homicides.
Erie's homicide rate is 73% below the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 10 cases remain under investigation. The primary reporting agency was Erie Police Department, which filed 21 incident reports. See also our Pennsylvania state homicide data page for broader context. The Erie metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.