Michigan Homicides Up Over Last Decade

Grand Rapids MI

18 August, 2022

4:54 PM

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By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Grand Rapids 2022-08-16 Homicides were up by nearly 30% in the United States in 2020, the largest single-year increase on record. The surge in deadly violence capped a decade in which the national murder rate was already trending upward. The historic spike in murders in 2020 came during a tumultuous year in American history. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and surging unemployment, gun sales spiked, and the murder of George Floyd rattled confidence in law enforcement and sparked nationwide protests. Over the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, the number of murders reported in the U.S. climbed by 47%. Now, the national murder rate is the highest it has been since 1997. All but six states reported an increase in homicides over the past decade. According to FBI data, the number of murders reported in Michigan climbed from 617 in 2011 to 754 in 2020. The 22.2% increase ranks as the 39th largest among the 44 states that reported an uptick in murders. Currently, the murder rate in Michigan is higher than the national average. There were 7.6 murders for every 100,000 people in the state in 2020, compared to the national homicide rate of 6.5 per 100,000. All data in this story is from the FBI's 2011 and 2020 Uniform Crime Report. Can't see the article's infographic? Click here to view the original story. This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.