Louisville Kentucky breaks homicide record with nearly 200 murders in 2021

Last year, cities across the United States saw an increase in the number of homicides compared to recent years. The murder rate increased in cities such as Buffalo, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The number of homicides also increased in Louisville, Kentucky. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation the national murder rate increased nearly 15% in 2021 compared to 2020. As of August 2021, approximately 65% of the murders in Louisville have gone unsolved. As of 2019, the national average for solved murder cases nationwide was 61.4% according to the FBI. 

According to the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), the city of Louisville had 188 homicides in 2021. Last year was the deadliest year on record for the city of Louisville. The previous record for the most homicides in a year for Louisville was in 2020, when 173 people were murdered. According to LMPD records, 583 people were injured by gun violence in 2021. Also, in 2021, 24 children were killed and 123 children were injured as a result of gun violence in Louisville.

Law enforcement officials and community activists in Louisville attribute the surge in gun-related violence to several factors including: fewer police officers, relative ease of access to firearms, increased public scrutiny of police officers, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, joblessness & unemployment, and strained relations between civilians and police. The LMPD has a shortage of approximately 240 police officers.

Sources:

"In Louisville, Kentucky, homicides go unsolved as number of killings, climbs." By Deon J. Hampton. August 21, 2021. NBC News. 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisville-kentucky-homicides-go-unsolved-number-killings-climbs-n1277062

"Louisville ends 2021 with record year of homicides." By Dustin Vogt. January 1, 2022. Wave 3 News. 
https://www.wave3.com/2022/01/01/louisville-ends-2021-with-record-year-homicides/

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