FBI UCR Homicide Data — 14 recorded incidents
Dayton has one of the highest homicide rates in Ohio, driven by a combination of gang activity, domestic violence, and the opioid crisis that has hit the city's West Side and Northridge neighborhoods particularly hard. Ohio's permitless carry law has been cited by Dayton prosecutors in connection with several recent homicide cases. The city's proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the flow of drugs through the I-75 corridor has contributed to its homicide problem. The 2023 murder of a 9-year-old girl by her mother's boyfriend in a Dayton motel room put the city in the national spotlight. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Dayton homicide tracker.
Dayton, Tennessee has recorded 14 homicides over the tracked period, with 14 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #293 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 21% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 3 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 36% of cases with weapon data), with firearm - type unknown as the next-most-frequent categories.
Dayton's homicide rate is 85% below the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 5 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Dayton Police Department, which filed 14 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Tennessee state homicide data page. The Dayton metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.