Seized weapons displayed by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Photo by LASD.
Gun homicides are defined here as deaths caused by use of a firearm other than by self-infliction. These firearms may be any type of handgun, shotgun, or rifle. The year 2021 recorded the most gun-related homicides in Los Angeles County in 15 years. Yet, even though L.A. County's number far exceeds that of every other California county (as does it's overall population), the county's gun homicide rate ranks below that of the counties of Alameda, Kern, Fresno, and Monterey. Furthermore, Los Angeles County's most recent gun homicides number fell far behind those tallied in the county more than 25 years ago. Although it wasn't practical for us to assemble county-level gun homicide data for U.S. counties outside of California, we were able to identify gun homicide rates in U.S. cities
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 633 | 6.4 | ▲ Up 28% |
| 2020 | 495 | 4.9 | ▲ Up 39% |
| 2019 | 357 | 3.5 | ▼ Down 14% |
| 2018 | 415 | 4.1 | ▼ Down 3% |
| 2017 | 427 | 4.2 | ▼ Down 8% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
| 2016 | 463 | 4.6 | ▲ Up 14% |
| 2015 | 407 | 4.0 | ▲ Up 12% |
| 2014 | 365 | 3.6 | ▼ Down 13% |
| 2013 | 421 | 4.2 | ▲ Up 1% |
| 2012 | 417 | 4.2 | ▲ Up 2% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
| 2011 | 408 | 4.1 | ▼ Down 15% |
| 2010 | 479 | 4.9 | ▼ Down 8% |
| 2009 | 522 | 5.3 | ▼ Down 14% |
| 2008 | 608 | 6.2 | ▼ Down 10% |
| 2007 | 677 | 6.9 | ▼ Down 17% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
| 2006 | 818 | 8.3 | ▼ Down 4% |
| 2005 | 854 | 8.7 | ▲ Up 2% |
| 2004 | 837 | 8.5 | ▲ Up 3% |
| 2003 | 812 | 8.3 | ▲ Up 9% |
| 2002 | 744 | 7.7 | ▲ Up 21% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
| 2001 | 616 | 6.4 | ▲ Up 11% |
| 2000 | 554 | 5.8 | ▲ Up 9% |
| 1999 | 506 | 5.4 | ▲ Up 4% |
| 1998 | 487 | 5.3 | ▼ Down 22% |
| 1997 | 624 | 6.8 | ▼ Down 6% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
| 1996 | 667 | 7.3 | ▼ Down 24% |
| 1995 | 876 | 9.6 | ▲ Up 1% |
| 1994 | 865 | 9.5 | ▲ Up 5% |
| 1993 | 820 | 9.0 | ▼ Down 33% |
| 1992 | 1,222 | 13.6 | ▼ Down 15% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate(1) | Year-to-Year Trend(2) |
| 1991 | 1,438 | 16.1 | ▲ Up 9% |
| 1990 | 1,314 | 14.9 | ▲ Up 18% |
| 1989 | 1,116 | 12.8 | ▲ Up 21% |
| 1988 | 924 | 10.8 | ▲ Up 0.002% |
| 1987 | 922 | 10.9 | --- |
(1) Number of crimes calculated for a population of 100,000 people (even if a community has less than that). Rate is the result of number of reported crimes divided by a given population number (given here as 2021 population estimates reported by the California Department of Finance) and then multiplied by 100,000.
(2) Trend:
▲ Represents an upward trend in number of gun homicides from previous year.
▼ Represents a downward trend in number of gun homicides from previous year.
Unfortunately, the city of Compton's gun-related homicide rate continues to surpass not only that of every other city in Los Angeles County, but also that of every other city in California. Yet, even Compton's high rate fell behind those of other key cities in America, including Wilmington, Delaware (50.9), Memphis, Tenessee (49.7), Detroit (46.3) and Flint (44.6) in Michigan, Cleveland, Ohio (37.0), Baton Rouge, Louisiana (35.6), Milwaukee, Wisconsin (34.1), and Richmond (33.5) and Portsmouth (32.7) in Virginia.
Cities listed below are in order of 2021 gun homicide rate, highest to lowest. Cities not listed below reported no gun homicides from 2017 through 2021.
Click here for latest estimated population by city in Los Angeles County.
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compton | 32.4 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 18 | ▲ |
| Maywood | 24.0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ▲ |
| Santa Fe Springs | 21.5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ▲ |
| La Habra Heights | 17.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Commerce | 16.2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ▲ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Inglewood | 15.8 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 9 | ▲ |
| Cudahy | 13.2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ▲ |
| Unincorporated County | 10.7 | 109 | 76 | 53 | 57 | 58 | ▲ |
| La Puente | 10.6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | ▲ |
| Lancaster | 10.2 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | ▲ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Pomona | 10.0 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 13 | ▲ |
| Malibu | 9.4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Gardena | 8.2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ▲ |
| Whittier | 8.0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ▲ |
| Los Angeles | 7.8 | 300 | 262 | 172 | 191 | 208 | ▲ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Bellflower | 7.6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ▲ |
| Paramount | 7.5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | ▲ |
| Carson | 7.5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ▲ |
| Long Beach | 7.4 | 34 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 18 | ▲ |
| Huntington Park | 7.3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | ▲ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Hawthorne | 6.8 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | ▲ |
| South Gate | 6.4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ▲ |
| Lawndale | 6.3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ▲ |
| Artesia | 6.1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | ▼ |
| Lynwood | 5.9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Monrovia | 5.3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▲ |
| Lomita | 4.9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▼ |
| Pico Rivera | 4.8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ▲ |
| El Monte | 4.6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ▲ |
| West Covina | 3.7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | ▲ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Diamond Bar | 3.7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Palmdale | 3.6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | ▲ |
| Monterey Park | 3.3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Beverly Hills | 3.1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Bell | 2.9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Pasadena | 2.9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ▲ |
| San Dimas | 2.9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Redondo Beach | 2.9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ▲ |
| West Hollywood | 2.8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▲ |
| Claremont | 2.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| San Gabriel | 2.6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▲ |
| Bell Gardens | 2.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ▶ |
| Rosemead | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ▶ |
| Covina | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ▶ |
| Arcadia | 1.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Alhambra | 1.2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ▼ |
| Norwalk | 1.0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | ▼ |
| Burbank | 0.9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Torrance | 0.7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ▼ |
| Agoura Hills | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Azusa | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ▶ |
| Baldwin Park | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ▶ |
| Cerritos | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
| Downey | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ▼ |
| Duarte | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| El Segundo | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
| Glendale | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | ▼ |
| Glendora | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Hawaiian Gardens | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▼ |
| La Mirada | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Lakewood | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ▶ |
| Montebello | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ▶ |
| Rancho Palos Verdes | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| San Fernando | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
| Santa Clarita | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ▶ |
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
| Santa Monica | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ▶ |
| Signal Hill | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
| South El Monte | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ▶ |
| Temple City | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Walnut | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Westlake Village | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
Three L.A. County cities listed below have relatively small populations. That said, Industry's number of gun homicides over the last five years - particularly in light of its small population - is comparatively very high.
| City | 2021 Gun Homicide Rate(1) | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | 2018 Gun Homicides | 2017 Gun Homicides | Trend 2017-2021(3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry (Population: 430) |
232.6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ▶ |
| Vernon (Population: 210) |
0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Irwindale (Population: 1,491) |
0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
(1) Number of crimes calculated for a population of 100,000 people (even if a community has less than that). Rate is the result of number of reported crimes divided by a given population number (given here as 2021 population estimates reported by the California Department of Finance) and then multiplied by 100,000.
(3) Trend:
▲ Represents an upward trend in the gun homicide rate from 2017 through 2021.
▶ Represents a relatively steady trend in the gun homicide rate from 2017 through 2021.
▼ Represents a downward trend in the gun homicide rate from 2017 through 2021.
Data source: Open Justice Data, California Department of Justice, except for City of Los Angeles data for 2020, derived from Los Angeles Open Data.
