Shooting deaths drop in Columbus
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The rate of gun-related homicides in Columbus dipped last year after two record-setting years.
Driving the news: There were 15 gun-related homicides per 100,000 residents in Columbus in 2022, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund provided exclusively to Axios.
- That's down from 20.2 per 100,000 residents a year earlier, but up from 9.7 per 100,000 in 2015.
Why it matters: Rising crime rates have been a prominent discussion locally since 2020, and this data provides context on how our situation compares to other U.S. cities.
Zoom out: Columbus' ranking is dwarfed by St. Louis (76.4), which ranked highest. Atlanta (38.9), Detroit (36.4) and Chicago (23.3) were all in the top 50.
- It's also the lowest of any major Ohio city: Cleveland (40.2), Dayton (29.1), Cincinnati (24), Akron (23.2) and Toledo (20.5).
Yes, but: Columbus still ranks in the upper third of the nation's 300 largest cities at No. 62.
The big picture: Cities with the highest firearm homicide rates are clustered in the South, generally in red states with less restrictive gun laws, Axios' Caitlin Owens reports.
- The report argues that urban gun crime is driven by macro-level factors — such as state gun laws and culture — and cities have little power to alter trends.
Zoom in: Columbus City Council and the Columbus NAACP are teaming up on a new anti-violence campaign called "We Got US" — and it includes pushing state legislators to pass stricter gun laws, the Dispatch reported earlier this month.
What we're watching: Columbus' overall number of homicides is trending upward again this year, putting the city on pace for its second-most-violent year on record.
- A surge in domestic violence is contributing to the increase, police told us in August.
