State Overview
Colorado has seen its homicide rate climb in recent years, driven by violence in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Aurora — the latter city becoming infamous with the 2012 Aurora theater shooting that killed 12 and wounded 70. Colorado's permissive marijuana laws have been cited in some cases, though the relationship between cannabis legalization and violent crime remains debated. The state's mountains and rural areas have seen occasional spikes in violence tied to methamphetamine production and property crime. Colorado's serial killer history includes the "Denver Serial Killer" who targeted homeless people, and the case of the "Bear Creek Murders" in the foothills west of Denver. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Colorado coverage.