Manhattan and Chicago murder rates plunge in 2025: officials

Homicides and shootings both fell by more than 40% in the first half of the year in Manhattan
Homicides and shootings both fell by more than 40% in the first half of the year in Manhattan. Photo credit Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) -- Officials in Manhattan and Chicago touted sharp drops in homicides in the first six months of 2025, compared to the same period last year.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Tuesday that homicides and shootings in the New York City borough both fell by more than 40% in the first half. He said there were 22 murders in the borough in the six months ending June 29, a 46% drop from 2023. Shootings in Manhattan fell 43%.

Chicago officials said that city’s 188 homicides in the first half of 2025 represented a 32% drop from last year and was the lowest number since 2014. They said there were 715 shootings this year to date, down 39% from last year.

A crime scene in Chicago
A crime scene in Chicago. Photo credit Scott Olson/Getty Images

Bragg said the reduction was even more dramatic compared to four years ago, just before he took office, claiming a “historic” 70% drop in shootings from 2021.

“Combating gun violence remains a top priority for my office,” Bragg said in a statement. “From aggressive enforcement to strategic partnerships and targeted community investments, we are doing the work to drive down cycles of gun violence.”

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images