How Many People Are Murdered In The US Every Day? (17 Shocking Stats) - The Hive Law (2024)

How many people are murdered in the US every day?

In this article, you’ll learn about:

• daily murder rates by state, city, and race
• statistics of murder rates per day
• causes of the highest murder rates by day
• how we can decrease the daily murder rates

Let’s dig in.

• The average number of people murdered per day is 44.7.
• The highest number of people murdered per day is 90.
• The lowest number of people murdered per day is 9.
• Guns have the highest daily murder rate at 7.3 per 100,000 people.
• Blacks have the highest daily murder rate at 14.6 per 100,000 people.
• St. Louis, MO has the highest daily murder rate at 62.9 per 100,000 people.
• Louisiana has the highest daily murder rate at 11.2 per 100,000 people.
• 25-29-year-olds have the highest daily murder rate at 8.7 per 100,000 people.
• Males have the highest daily murder rate at 8.4 per 100,000 people.
• Urban areas have a daily murder rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people.
• Suburban areas have a daily murder rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people.
• Rural areas have a daily murder rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people.
• Metro areas have a daily murder rate of 8.2 per 100,000 people.
• Males are 81% of the murder victims. Females are 19%.
• Blacks are 54% of the murder victims. Whites are 22%. Hispanics are 16%.

Murder is when one person kills another without a legal excuse.

Examples include shooting, stabbing, suffocating, or poisoning.

Laws related to murder include:

• Capital punishment: the death penalty for severe crimes (murder).
• Manslaughter: is a less severe form of homicide (unintentional killing).
• Self-defense: a legal excuse to kill if the person is a threat to your life.

The US views murder as a serious crime.

The most common penalty for murder is life imprisonment.

There are currently 28 states that have the death sentence for murder.

Read More: Gun Violence Statistics

There are 16.1 murders per day in the US.

This information comes from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

This data gets collected from police departments and reported yearly.

Last year, 5,890 murders got reported.

This equates to 16.1 murders a day.

Read More: How Many People Die From Guns Each Year?

Here is the:

• murder rate by state
• murders per year for each state
• murders per day for each state

Here is the:

• murder rate by city
• murders per year for each city
• murders per day for each city

This shows the top 25 cities with the most murders.

Here is the:

• murder rate by race
• murders per year for each race
• murders per day for each race

Socioeconomic inequality can impact the murder rate in the US.

Low socioeconomic status leads to:

• economic stress
• poverty
• limited resources
• increased risk of violence

People in these areas also face higher crime rates.

Other things that contribute to higher murder rates in the US are:

• limited education and job opportunities
• frustration and desperation, leading to violence
• inadequate access to mental health services

Gang violence causes many murders in the US.

Last year, 16% of US murders were gang-related, says the FBI.

Gangs cause high murder rates in many big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

Last year, Chicago reported 650 gang-related homicides.

This was 50% of all homicides in Chicago.

In Los Angeles, 33% of all homicides were gang-related.

Gangs can easily get firearms, making violence more efficient.

They also often take part in the illegal drug trade, leading to violent disputes.

Read More: How Many People Go Missing Every Year?

Domestic abuse is linked to half of all homicides in the US.

(According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.)

On average, 20 people per minute are physically abused by a partner.

Domestic violence also impacts children.

5.8 million got exposed to it last year, according to the CDC.

The problem is especially severe for women.

93% of murders of women by partners were committed by men.

Drugs drive U.S. murders.

The FBI reports that 18,000 homicides happened last year

35% of those murders were drug-related.

The BoJ Statistics found 60% of homicides involved drugs or alcohol.

Drug-related crime creates a violent environment.

Drug use and distribution lead to:

• gang wars
• disputes
• organized crime

This can result in more homicides.

Drug crime gets linked to:

• poverty
• low education

And both increase violence.

Drug crime also:

• drives the demand for weapons
• leads to more homicides

Last year, 5.2 million firearms got recovered from drug-related crimes.

Most of these guns got used in homicides.

Racial discrimination affects African Americans in the US.

And it leads to:

• poverty
• unequal healthcare
• education gaps
• unequal policing

This can increase the risk of violent crime.

Data from the FBI shows African Americans face more homicides.

Last year, they were nearly half of all homicide victims.

They are also more likely to get killed by other African Americans.

This shows discrimination contributes to violence.

Racial bias in policing can also increase violence in Black communities.

They are more likely to get:

• stopped
• searched
• arrested

(Even if they haven’t committed a crime.)

This causes anger, frustration, and mistrust of law enforcement.

Discrimination is a big reason for higher homicide rates in the US.

It causes unequal access to:

• resources
• poverty, and bias in law enforcement

All of this leads to a higher risk of violence.

Mental illness raises the risk of violent behavior, including murder.

The NIMH says 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness in a year.

Around 60% of suicides involve mental illness.

4% of US homicides get committed by people with serious mental illness.

Studies link mental illness and homicide in the US, showing that:

• 1/3 of homicides get committed by people with mental illness
• those with serious mental illness are 16x more likely to commit a violent crime

Mental illness also increases the risk of being a homicide victim.

Let’s consider a study from JAMA Psychiatry.

It found that people with serious mental illness are 11x more likely to get murdered.

So, mental illness raises the risk of violence, including murder.

People with mental illness are:

• responsible for up to one-third of US homicides
• are more likely to be victims of murder

The FBI’s report shows 20.5% of US murders were revenge or retaliation killings.

In many communities, people feel they can take justice into their own hands.

To reduce these killings, we need to focus on:

• prevention
• intervention

This includes actions like:

• education and job opportunities for youth
• safe communities
• well-equipped law enforcement

Law enforcement affects murder rates in the US.

Limited resources lead to higher crime rates.

(As shown in a study of Chicago neighborhoods.)

Areas with fewer police had higher homicide rates.

Cities with fewer police had higher murder rates.

A lack of police presence can lead to lawlessness and encourage crime.

A study found that decreased police presence increased the homicide rate.

Investing in more police resources can:

• reduce homicides
• make cities safer

Poor education and job opportunities drive up daily murder rates.

The BoJ Statistics reports that areas with the highest daily murder rates have:

• low education
• low median income

RAND Corporation found homicides are 2x as likely in jobless neighborhoods.

In Baltimore:

• one-third of adults over 25 lack a high school diploma
• the median income is half the national average

This likely contributes to the city’s high murder rate of 50 per 100,000.

Unemployment led to a 44% increase in homicides during the 2008 recession.

But, areas with a decrease in unemployment saw a 19% drop in homicides.

• Increase public safety measures: This can include increased police presence, improved street lighting, and more security cameras in public places.
• Improve access to mental health care: Mental health issues can be a factor in violent crime, so providing more mental health resources can help prevent future tragedies.
• Strengthen gun control laws: Restricting access to firearms is one of the most effective ways to reduce gun-related homicides.
• Increase funding for education: Investing in education can help reduce poverty, which is linked to higher crime rates.
• Implement community outreach programs: Programs that focus on connecting people to resources and offering guidance can help prevent violence.
• Expand access to substance abuse treatment: Substance abuse is often a factor in criminal activity, so making treatment accessible can help reduce crime.
• Impose stricter penalties for violent crimes: Increasing the severity of punishments for violent crimes can help discourage people from committing them.

California has the highest number of murders per day with 7.5 per day.

Read More: Which States Have The Highest Murder Rate?

Approximately 65% of murders in the US are solved by police.

The most common causes of murder in the US are:

• arguments
• gang violence
• domestic violence

The states with the highest murder rates are (per 100,000 people):

• Louisiana – 10.2
• Maryland – 8.3
• Delaware – 7.5
• Mississippi – 6.7
• Illinois – 6.5