Gun-related killings in Denver declined in 2022
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Denver's rate of killings involving firearms fell in 2022, reversing a two-year trend, according to an analysis by the left-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund provided exclusively to Axios.
By the numbers: There were 11.5 gun-related killings per 100,000 residents in Denver last year, per the report.
- That's down from 12.9 a year earlier, but still significantly higher than the rate of 6.9 in 2015.
Why it matters: The drop in gun-related deaths last year followed prominent discussions of increased crime during the pandemic years and a ramp-up in public safety efforts to curb it.
What to watch: The downward trend is expected to continue. Denver's police chief told us in September that violent crimes appear to be declining this year compared to last.
The big picture: The report framed its findings in partisan terms, comparing gun-related homicide rates in blue-state cities and red-state cities from 2015 through 2022 as part of an argument about the relationship between progressive policies and crime.
- Colorado had a Democratic governor and Denver a Democratic mayor and council for that time period, and the city's gun-related killing rate was higher than both the average rates of blue-state cities (7.2) and red-state cities (11.1).
- The city's gun-related killing rate of 11.5 is dwarfed by cities like New Orleans (65.3), Richmond (36.6) and Washington, D.C. (27.6).