Minneapolis Homicide Statistics 2026 | Key Facts

Homicides in Minneapolis 2026

Minneapolis experienced a historic decline in homicides during 2025, marking a significant turning point after years of elevated violence following the pandemic era. The city recorded 64 homicides in 2025, representing a 16.9 percent decrease from the 77 homicides in 2024 and 32 fewer deaths than the peak of 96 homicides in 2021. This downward trend in lethal violence continues into early 2026, though recent federal enforcement operations have complicated the statistical picture by adding deaths from federal agent shootings to the city’s homicide count. The Minneapolis Police Department has implemented multiple crime reduction strategies including focused enforcement protocols, community partnerships, and federal collaboration that officials credit with driving violence reduction across most categories.

The landscape of violent crime in Minneapolis has transformed substantially since the historic surge that began in 2020. While 2025 homicide totals remain above the 48 murders recorded in 2019, the sustained decline over multiple consecutive years suggests structural improvements in public safety rather than temporary fluctuations. Early 2026 data shows continued progress in most violent crime categories, with robberies down 50 percent and carjackings reduced by 73 percent compared to 2021 levels. However, the shooting deaths of two United States citizens by federal agents in January 2026 have raised complex questions about how such incidents factor into homicide statistics and overall community safety assessments for Minneapolis residents.

Key Facts and Latest Statistics on Minneapolis Homicides 2026

Data sources: Minneapolis Police Department, FOX 9 News, City of Minneapolis Crime Dashboard, KARE 11, Axios Twin Cities, Minnesota Star Tribune, Snopes

The homicide statistics for Minneapolis reveal a complex picture of violence reduction progress alongside persistent challenges. The city’s 64 homicides in 2025 represented a 16.9 percent decrease from the previous year’s 77 deaths, continuing a multi-year decline from the 2021 peak of 96 homicides. This reduction occurred despite seven mass shooting incidents throughout 2025, including the devastating Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting on August 27 that killed two children and injured 27 others, mostly elementary and middle school students attending morning Mass. The persistence of mass casualty events demonstrates that while overall homicide numbers have declined, the nature of some violent incidents has become more catastrophic with higher victim counts per event.

Shooting victim data provides additional context about gun violence trends driving homicide patterns. Gunshot wound victims decreased 18 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, with Minneapolis recording 68 fewer shooting victims despite the multiple mass shooting events. The geographic distribution of shooting reductions varied significantly across police precincts, with the Third Precinct experiencing a 33 percent decrease and the Fourth Precinct seeing a 42 percent reduction in gunshot victims. North Minneapolis achieved its lowest shooting victim numbers since 2008, representing a historic milestone for neighborhoods that have historically experienced the highest concentrations of gun violence. The overall data shows 347 fewer shootings in 2025 compared to the 2021 peak, indicating sustained progress in reducing gun violence incidents across the city.

Annual Homicide Trends in Minneapolis 2019-2026

Data sources: Minneapolis Police Department crime statistics, FOX 9 News, Axios Twin Cities, City of Minneapolis official data, KARE 11 reporting

The year-over-year homicide trends reveal the dramatic volatility Minneapolis experienced following the 2020 civil unrest and subsequent policing challenges. The city saw homicides surge 75 percent from 48 in 2019 to 84 in 2020, with violence continuing to escalate to a modern peak of 96 homicides in 2021. This represented the highest annual murder total Minneapolis had recorded in over two decades, with the city joining other major urban areas experiencing post-pandemic crime surges. The 2021 level made Minneapolis the only major American city where shooting victims outnumbered sworn police officers, highlighting the severity of the public safety crisis and departmental staffing challenges simultaneously affecting the city.

The recovery trajectory from 2022 through 2025 shows sustained but uneven progress in reducing lethal violence. After declining to 80 homicides in 2022 and 73 in 2023, the city experienced a slight uptick to 77 deaths in 2024 before achieving a more substantial 16.9 percent reduction to 64 homicides in 2025. Early 2026 data suggests continued improvement, with projections estimating the year could finish with 50 to 60 total homicides if current trends continue through the remainder of the year. However, this projection faces uncertainty due to multiple variables including seasonal crime patterns, the impact of federal immigration enforcement operations on community-police relations, and the fragility of violence reduction gains that police officials have repeatedly emphasized in public statements about crime trends.

Mass Shooting Incidents in Minneapolis 2025

Data sources: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota Star Tribune, FOX 9 News, KARE 11, Wikipedia, Gun Violence Archive

The seven mass shooting incidents that occurred in Minneapolis during 2025 significantly impacted community perceptions of safety despite overall crime reductions. The Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting on August 27, 2025 represented the most devastating single incident, with 23-year-old Robin Westman firing through church windows during morning Mass, killing two elementary school students aged 8 and 10 and wounding 27 others including 15 children between ages 6 and 15 and 3 elderly parishioners. The shooter used three different firearms and fired approximately 116 rifle rounds before dying by suicide in the church parking lot. This attack became the largest mass shooting in Minneapolis history by victim count and was classified by federal authorities as domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime.

The concentration of mass shooting events in late summer 2025 created what Police Chief Brian O’Hara called an absolutely terrible week in late August. Between August 26-27, Minneapolis experienced three separate fatal shooting incidents including the Annunciation massacre, a shooting near Cristo Rey Jesuit High School that killed one and wounded six, and an early morning shooting at 8th Street and Hennepin Avenue that left one dead and one wounded. The Fourth and Fifth Precincts saw increased homicide counts due to these mass casualty events, even as other areas of the city experienced declining violence. The clustering of mass shootings on and near Lake Street became a particular concern, with residents and business owners in the Phillips and Longfellow neighborhoods reporting that perception of safety deteriorated despite statistical improvements in overall crime rates across most of the city.

Shooting Victim Statistics by Precinct in Minneapolis 2025

Data sources: Minneapolis Police Department, FOX 9 News, KARE 11, KSTP, Minnesota Star Tribune

The precinct-level analysis of shooting victims reveals dramatic geographic variation in violence reduction across Minneapolis. The Fourth Precinct covering North Minneapolis achieved the most remarkable progress, recording the lowest number of shooting victims since 2008 when the city began tracking this data separately. This represented a 42 percent reduction in gunshot wound victims compared to 2024, marking a historic turning point for neighborhoods that have traditionally experienced the highest concentrations of gun violence in the city. Police Chief O’Hara emphasized this achievement as evidence that focused intervention strategies, community partnerships, and sustained enforcement efforts can produce measurable results even in areas with longstanding violence challenges.

The Third Precinct in Southeast Minneapolis similarly showed strong progress with a 33 percent decrease in shooting victims during 2025, though this improvement occurred unevenly across neighborhoods within the precinct. The Phillips and Longfellow areas experienced multiple mass shootings that increased local homicide counts even as surrounding neighborhoods saw declining violence. The Fifth Precinct data demonstrates how a single catastrophic event can overwhelm broader positive trends, with officials noting that the precinct would have shown shooting victim declines similar to other areas if not for the Annunciation Church shooting that occurred within its boundaries. The citywide 18 percent overall reduction in gunshot wound victims, representing 68 fewer people shot compared to 2024, occurred despite the multiple mass shooting incidents, indicating that reductions in routine gun violence substantially outweighed the impact of high-casualty events on total victim counts.

Federal Agent Homicides in Minneapolis January 2026

Data sources: Hennepin County Medical Examiner, Minneapolis Police Department, Snopes, ABC News, PBS News, Al Jazeera, Wikipedia

The two fatal shootings of United States citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis during January 2026 added a new dimension to the city’s homicide statistics and public safety discussions. Renée Good, a 37-year-old community observer monitoring federal immigration enforcement activities, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026, in the first homicide recorded in Minneapolis for 2026. According to Snopes verification of city crime data, no other homicides had occurred in the city from January 1-7, making Good’s death the sole killing during that period. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds, though the classification of homicide refers to death caused by another person rather than criminal culpability.

Alex Pretti, also 37 years old and working as an intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Hospital, was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents on January 24, 2026, becoming the second US citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis within three weeks. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed both victims were American citizens, with Pretti holding a valid Minnesota permit to carry a firearm. The circumstances surrounding both shootings have been disputed, with federal authorities providing accounts that differ from witness statements and video evidence. State and local officials have criticized federal agencies for blocking Minneapolis police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from accessing crime scenes to conduct independent investigations, creating ongoing jurisdictional tensions over how these deaths will be investigated and whether they will be included in official Minneapolis homicide statistics maintained by local authorities.

Violent Crime Reduction Statistics in Minneapolis 2025

Data sources: Minneapolis Police Department, FOX 9 News, KARE 11, City of Minneapolis Crime Dashboard, Axios Twin Cities

The comprehensive violent crime reduction data for 2025 demonstrates progress across nearly all major categories of serious offenses. Robberies showed the most dramatic improvement, declining 50 percent from 2021 levels to 1,085 reported incidents in 2025, substantially reducing street-level confrontational theft that creates fear and economic losses for residents and businesses. Carjackings, which had surged during pandemic years and created widespread anxiety about vehicle security, plummeted 73 percent from peak levels despite several crime sprees that occurred throughout 2025. This dramatic reduction in vehicle theft at gunpoint resulted from focused enforcement operations, juvenile intervention programs, and coordination with federal prosecutors who brought RICO cases against organized carjacking networks.

Aggravated assaults declined 9 percent in 2025, resulting in 146 fewer victims compared to 2024, though this more modest improvement compared to other violent crime categories suggests continued challenges in reducing interpersonal violence and confrontations that do not result in death. Burglary reports totaled 2,401 in 2025, representing 193 fewer incidents than the previous year and a 10 percent reduction that indicates property crime improvements alongside violent crime declines. The 347 fewer shootings recorded in 2025 compared to the 2021 peak demonstrates sustained progress in reducing gun violence incidents across the city, with shots fired calls declining substantially even as multiple mass shooting events occurred. Officials credit these improvements to multi-faceted strategies including the Crime Pattern Response Protocol, Curfew Task Force targeting juvenile violence, Late-Night Safety Plan, and enhanced federal partnerships for prosecuting serious violent offenders.

Police Staffing and Response in Minneapolis 2025-2026

Data sources: Minneapolis Police Department, FOX 9 News, KARE 11, Axios Twin Cities, Police Chief Brian O’Hara statements

Minneapolis Police Department staffing levels showed the first sustained improvement since the 2020 exodus of officers following civil unrest and departmental restructuring debates. For the first time since 2019, the department ended 2024 with more officers than when the year began, hiring 174 sworn officers while losing 49, for a net gain of 125 personnel. This marked a dramatic reversal from 2023 when the department had a net loss of 44 officers, continuing years of declining staffing that reduced the force from approximately 900 officers before the pandemic to an estimated 550-600 currently serving. Despite recent hiring improvements, the department remains significantly below the 731 officer charter minimum required by Minneapolis city law.

Response time improvements accompanied staffing increases, with fourth quarter 2025 Priority 1 emergency call response averaging near seven minutes, approaching the under seven minute standard that existed before June 2020. At the height of the staffing crisis, response times to the most urgent calls had grown to nearly 10 minutes, creating public safety risks as officers took longer to reach active violent crimes, medical emergencies, and other time-critical situations. The recruitment pipeline shows 21 officers in the next graduating class with 30-40 in the following training cohort, indicating continued but gradual staffing growth. Police Chief O’Hara has emphasized that sustained crime reduction depends on rebuilding the force to adequate levels while also implementing the consent decree reforms required by federal oversight, creating competing demands for limited departmental resources and personnel time.

Homicide Clearance Rates and Investigation in Minneapolis 2025-2026

Data sources: Axios Twin Cities, Minnesota Star Tribune, Minneapolis City Council, The Global Statistics analysis, Minneapolis Police Department

Homicide and shooting investigation clearance rates remain a significant challenge for Minneapolis despite overall violence reductions. City Council members have publicly criticized the Minneapolis Police Department for low clearance rates, with investigations frequently going unsolved due to staffing shortages, high detective caseloads, and lack of witness cooperation according to department officials. St. Paul’s substantially higher success rate in solving shootings and securing convictions prompted Minneapolis leaders to study their approach, with St. Paul Police and Ramsey County Attorney John Choi crediting adoption of a Denver model that focuses resources on solving nonfatal shootings and systematically prosecuting shooters before they commit homicides. The Minneapolis City Council earmarked $1.7 million in December 2025 toward creating a similar nonfatal shooting task force.

Investigation capabilities show both strengths and limitations in current Minneapolis operations. Evidence recovery teams successfully process 89 percent of shooting crime scenes, collecting ballistics evidence, DNA samples, and physical evidence that can link cases and identify perpetrators. Video evidence plays a crucial role in 52 percent of shooting incidents, with footage from surveillance cameras, body-worn cameras, and civilian recordings helping investigators reconstruct events and identify suspects. However, staffing shortages mean individual detectives carry caseloads higher than they have ever managed before, and some shootings without obvious suspects sometimes are not even assigned for investigation according to department officials. The average 4.2 minute response time to shooting calls represents improved deployment, but converting rapid response into solved cases requires sustained investigation resources that remain stretched thin across the understaffed department.

Economic and Community Impact of Violence in Minneapolis 2025

Data sources: City of Minneapolis lawsuit, Minnesota Star Tribune, business reporting, police department data

The economic impact of violent crime extends far beyond immediate victim costs to affect business operations, property values, and community investment across Minneapolis. Customer-facing businesses in areas experiencing elevated violence reported revenue declines of 50-80 percent according to data cited in city legal filings, with restaurants, retail establishments, and service providers particularly affected when shootings and other violent crimes occur nearby. Insurance costs have increased substantially for property owners and businesses, with carriers raising premiums and in some cases declining to write new policies for properties in neighborhoods with persistent crime challenges. These hidden costs compound direct losses from property crimes and create barriers to business recovery and expansion.

Downtown revitalization efforts face ongoing challenges related to perception of safety versus statistical crime reductions. While overall violent crime metrics show improvement, high-profile incidents including mass shootings and federal enforcement operations create impressions of chaos that discourage workers from returning to offices, customers from visiting retail districts, and developers from investing in new projects. The perception gap between improving crime statistics and resident experiences creates policy challenges, with some neighborhood residents reporting they do not feel safer despite data showing fewer shootings and homicides in their areas. However, neighborhoods experiencing the most substantial crime reductions, particularly in North Minneapolis, have seen increased investment interest, rising property values, and community optimism about sustained safety improvements that could drive broader economic recovery across the city.

Comparison with National Homicide Trends in 2025-2026

Data sources: Real-Time Crime Index, Council on Criminal Justice, FBI data, Axios Twin Cities, NPR analysis

Minneapolis homicide reduction in 2025 aligns with broader national trends showing declining murder rates across American cities, though the city’s 16.9 percent decrease matches rather than exceeds the national average 16 percent reduction reported through October. St. Paul’s dramatically steeper 54.5 percent decline from 33 homicides in 2024 to just 15 in 2025—the lowest in 12 years—demonstrates that neighboring jurisdictions achieved superior results using focused strategies including the Denver model emphasizing nonfatal shooting investigations. The national pattern shows homicide rates falling from the pandemic-era surge that peaked in 2021, with Real-Time Crime Index data from 600 police departments indicating widespread violence reduction across regions and city sizes.

Mid-sized American cities showed a 7 percent decline in violent crime from July 2024 through May 2025 according to FBI data, with property crimes falling approximately 12 percent during the same period. Major urban areas including Chicago, Washington DC, and Baltimore all reported declining violent crime rates through 2025, continuing recovery from the approximately 30 percent spike in killings that began with George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis in 2020 and the associated nationwide protests and policing changes. Researchers attribute the violence surge to pandemic-related stresses including economic disruption, social isolation, reduced street activity, officer exodus from departments, and strained relations between communities and police. The gradual decline since 2021 suggests many of these acute stressors have eased, allowing more normal crime patterns to reassert themselves, though violence levels remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic baselines in most cities including Minneapolis.

Future Projections and Challenges for Minneapolis 2026

Data sources: Minneapolis Police Department, City Council, consent decree monitoring, community feedback

The outlook for continued homicide reduction in 2026 depends on multiple interrelated factors, some showing positive momentum while others present ongoing risks. Police staffing improvements must continue accelerating to address the current shortfall below the 731 officer charter minimum and approach the approximately 900 officers the department maintained pre-pandemic. Recruiting and training timelines mean even aggressive hiring cannot quickly resolve staffing gaps, requiring sustained multi-year commitment to rebuilding the force. Consent decree implementation consumes significant resources as the department implements policy reforms, training programs, and accountability systems required by federal oversight, creating competing demands for personnel time and departmental attention alongside crime fighting priorities.

Federal immigration enforcement operations have introduced new variables affecting community-police relations and potentially crime reporting patterns. The deaths of two US citizens at the hands of federal agents in January 2026, combined with widespread enforcement activities affecting immigrant communities, may reduce willingness of some residents to contact police or serve as witnesses regardless of citizenship status. Mass shooting prevention remains an exceptionally difficult challenge, with no reliable method for predicting or preventing determined attackers despite enhanced security protocols at schools, churches, and other vulnerable locations. Seasonal violence patterns typically show increases during spring and summer months when more people are outside and social conflicts escalate, meaning 2026 projections remain uncertain until the city navigates traditionally high-crime seasons. However, the demonstrated success of juvenile violence intervention programs, particularly the Curfew Task Force credited with reducing youth robbery sprees by 66 percent, provides evidence that focused strategies targeting high-risk populations and behaviors can produce measurable results even with limited resources.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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