HOMICIDES DROP 22%?
“Teen dies in shooting on Indianapolis’ east side”
It was the first 2026 homicide in Indianapolis. Lamar Dominic Miller, Jr. was killed on January 2nd, 2026.
The headlines are relentless. The human cost is real. Violence and homicide appear in the news here almost every day. A shooting, a family shattered, a neighborhood in mourning: each story is immediate and personal. It seems we are drowning in teenage blood and that violence is rising everywhere, all the time. But a headline is a snapshot, not a long-term trend—and statistics tell a more complicated story.
In the United States, some outcomes show a drop of 22% in homicides over a period of roughly four decades. The exact figure depends on what is being counted, which years are compared, and whether the outcome is a number of incidents or a rate adjusted for population. One recent analysis found the national homicide rate in 2025 was 60% lower than its 1980 peak. And, while the stats look promising, it does not mean every community has experienced the same decline, or that every year has been safer than the last.
A close look tells us certain counties have most of the violence. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, out of the 3,144 counties in the U.S., only 21% of them accounted for 9 out of every 10 homicides that occurred in the U.S. during 2017 - 2025.
In spite of what looks like positive statistics overall, many, especially those in low-income communities, have a reason to feel they are surrounded by violence. In Indianapolis, Stop The Violence Indianapolis is fighting this issue every day, along with others, like The Alternatives To Violence Project in Muncie, The Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Indiana Peace Project, among others.
Statistics offer perspective, but they do not measure grief. A declining rate can’t tell a parent what it means to lose a child, or a sibling how to live with an empty place at the table. It cannot capture the fear felt by witnesses, or the lasting effect on neighbors who no longer feel safe. Behind every homicide is a circle of people left to carry on without them.
So, we look at a falling rate of homicides with hope, yet knowing the problem is far from solved. Communities need sustained support for people at risk, accessible mental-health and crisis services, and practical help for families affected by violence. In Indianapolis, within blocks of where Lamar was killed, and just since October 19th, there have been five murders. Meanwhile, Indianapolis, Hammond, Lawrence, East Chicago, and Fort Wayne continue to top the homicide rates in Indiana. Presumably, according to the statistics, it will be getting better?
Every Life Matters,
Nancy
