State Overview
Wisconsin's homicide rate is driven primarily by Milwaukee, which has one of the highest per-capita homicide rates among large American cities. The violence is concentrated on Milwaukee's north side, where decades of industrial job loss, housing segregation, and disinvestment have created conditions for persistent violent crime. Wisconsin's permitless carry law has contributed to a proliferation of firearms in a city where gun-related homicides account for the vast majority of killings. Beyond Milwaukee, Wisconsin's smaller cities — including Madison, Green Bay, and Kenosha — have their own pockets of elevated violence. Wisconsin's serial killer history includes the "Kenosha Killer" and the case of a group of Native American women killed near the Menominee Reservation. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Wisconsin coverage.