FBI UCR Homicide Data — 117 recorded incidents
Nashville has experienced a sharp rise in homicides in recent years, driven by a combination of domestic violence, gang activity, and the city's booming nightlife economy which has created pressures around bar and entertainment-district violence. Tennessee's permitless carry law has made firearms ubiquitous, and prosecutors have cited the law in connection with several recent high-profile homicide cases. The city's 2023 mass shooting at The Covenant School — a Christian elementary school that killed three 9-year-old children and three adults — shocked the nation and reignited a national debate about gun safety legislation. Beyond that tragedy, Nashville neighborhoods like Bordeaux, North Nashville, and South Nashville have recorded homicide rates that far exceed national averages. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Nashville homicide tracker.
Nashville, Tennessee has recorded 117 homicides over the tracked period, with 138 victims identified. Tracking continues through 2026. The city ranks #18 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 16% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 19 of those incidents.
The weapon mix skews toward firearm - handguns (roughly 37% of cases with weapon data), with firearm - type unknown as the next-most-frequent categories. The single deadliest month on record was April 2022, with 13 homicides logged.
Nashville's homicide rate is near the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 56 cases remain under investigation. Reporting is dominated by Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, which filed 93 incident reports. For broader statewide context, see our Tennessee state homicide data page. The Nashville metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.