Update: On January 3rd, 2024, Baltimore Police sent out a corrected total for the 2023 homicide tally, with an additional historical death that was ruled a homicide by the OCME on December 27, 2023. This story was updated on January 4 to reflect this change.
The City of Baltimore welcomed the new year with the fewest homicides in nearly a decade, but that 263 number doesn't tell the whole story.
As part of our In Focus commitment, we're digging into the data to give you a broader picture of the data.
We've created this interactive graphic for you to explore the numbers and will have additional analysis below.
The last time Baltimore City recorded fewer than 300 homicides in a year was in 2014. That year, the City recorded 211 homicides, at a rate of about 33.8 per 100,000 population. The approximate population of the City in that year was also 623,500.
The most recent population estimate for Baltimore City, from the US Census Bureau from July 1, 2022, showed the City's population has declined to around 570,000, a more than 50,000-person drop over the decade.
This puts this year's rate of homicides per 100,000 population at 46.15, significantly higher than in 2014, but still a big step down from last year's rate of 57.9, when Baltimore recorded 330 murders.
The average age of a 2023 homicide victim is 31.71 years old.
Most of the victims were men (88.9%).
And the majority of victims were Black, at least 83.2%.
Another takeaway from the data was the 16 kids and young teens who were murdered in 2023. Of the 241 murders recorded that stemmed from incidents that took place in 2023, 6.6% were juvenile victims.
Juvenile crime has been a priority conversation among leaders and lawmakers over the last several months. Eight of the 46 people arrested for 2023 homicides were between the ages of 14 and 17. However, in more than 84% of 2023 homicides, no arrests have been made.
Baltimore's Brooklyn neighborhood saw 10 murders recorded in 2023, including 2 from the mass shooting in early July that also left 28 people injured. The Upton neighborhood saw the next most recorded murders in 2023.
RELATED: Mistakes made leading up to Brooklyn mass shooting
The Police Department updated its district lines to a new map in mid-July, making it difficult to compare district-level data for the year.
And as in previous years, the number one weapon used to kill Baltimore residents in 2023 was a gun. In 87% of recorded murders, the victim died from a gunshot wound. The next highest percentage was a knife or sharp object, used in 17 murders recorded throughout the year, about 6.5%.
While it's important to understand the data, we know that to the families, friends, and communities of the 263 people whose murders were recorded in 2023, these brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, business owners, and neighbors were more than a number on a list. We've compiled a gallery of the names and photos that are available, to remember and honor the victims, that you can find here.