Homicides in Baltimore reach an all-time low in July under mayor Brandon Scott

BALTIMORE — Baltimore recorded only seven homicides in July 2026, the lowest total ever documented for the month and a striking marker of the city’s continued decline in violence.

Homicides in Baltimore reach an all-time low in July 2026

Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the figures Monday, calling the drop “historic” and evidence that Baltimore’s long‑term strategy is working.

The city has now seen three consecutive years of reductions in shootings and homicides. As of Aug. 3, 2026, Baltimore has recorded 60 homicides and 187 non‑fatal shootings, compared with 81 homicides and 190 non‑fatal shootings at the same point last year — a 25.9 percent decrease in homicides and a modest decline in non‑fatal shootings.

“Baltimoreans know that July has historically been the most dangerous month of the year — which makes this progress all the more significant,” Mr. Scott said.

“We would not be here without the dedicated work of BPD and our law enforcement partners, MONSE, prosecutors, our community violence intervention ecosystem, and most importantly, our residents.”

He added that the city would continue strengthening the partnerships behind the decline. “Any one life lost to violence in our city is one too many.”

The July figure is only the second single‑digit homicide count ever recorded for the month. The last came in July 2001, when Baltimore reported nine killings.

Other Public Safety Indicators Also Fall

While homicides remain the centerpiece of the city’s progress, several other measures have moved in the same direction:

• Police have seized more than 1,189 firearms this year, including 123 ghost guns, and made 743 gun arrests.
• The department’s homicide clearance rate is about 60 percent.
• Carjackings are down 42 percent, burglaries down 16 percent, and robberies down 12 percent compared with last year.

Violence‑Reduction Programs Show Measurable Impact

City officials say Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, launched in 2022, continues to drive the decline. The program has resulted in more than 670 arrests and connected over 400 people to life‑coaching and support services. Roughly 90 percent of participants have not been revictimized.

The city’s Streets program has also reached rare milestones. According to the release, sites — Park Heights, Woodbourne‑McCabe, Sandtown, Penn North and McElderry Park — have each gone more than a year without a homicide in their catchment zones. Outreach workers have mediated hundreds of conflicts and connected residents to services.

Recent academic research has reinforced the city’s approach. A National Bureau of Economic Research paper from the University of Pennsylvania found that the Group Violence Reduction Strategy played a significant role in Baltimore’s falling homicide rate. A separate study from Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions linked Safe Streets to a sharp decline in youth homicides.

Baltimore officials say the July numbers show the city’s progress is not a brief dip but part of a broader, sustained shift — one they intend to keep pushing forward.