Report: U.S. city homicides fall 18 percent year over year

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Data from 30 American cities showed an 18% decrease in the homicide rate in the first half of 2026 versus the same period in 2025, about 215 fewer homicides, the Council on Criminal Justice reported. The council tracked 13 crimes and recorded drops in nine categories, including carjackings and aggravated assaults, plus a 13% year‑over‑year decline in residential burglary and a 23% reduction in the lethality of serious violent crime. Some offenses rose slightly, such as shoplifting and drug offenses, and a third of sampled cities recorded homicide increases.

Homicide rate fell 18 percent across 30 U.S. cities.