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. In 2021, Los Angeles County recorded the most gun-related homicides in the county in 15 years. That number, however, has since fallen again. It should be noted that even that recent high number was still far behind Los Angeles County gun homicide numbers more than 25 years ago.
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate (1) | Year-to-Year Trend (2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 492 | 5.0 | ▼ Down 10% |
| 2022 | 547 | 5.5 | ▼ Down 15% |
| 2021 | 646 | 6.5 | ▲ Up 30% |
| 2020 | 496 | 5.0 | ▲ 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 | 363 | 3.6 | ▼ Down 14% |
| 2013 | 421 | 4.2 | ▲ Up 1% |
| 2012 | 418 | 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 | 605 | 6.2 | ▼ Down 11% |
| 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 | 853 | 8.7 | ▲ Up 2% |
| 2004 | 837 | 8.5 | ▼ Down 2% |
| 2003 | 857 | 8.8 | ▼ Down 9% |
| 2002 | 939 | 9.7 | ▲ Up 8% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate (1) | Year-to-Year Trend (2) |
| 2001 | 873 | 9.1 | ▲ Up 10% |
| 2000 | 793 | 8.4 | ▲ Up 21% |
| 1999 | 658 | 7.1 | ▼ Down 9% |
| 1998 | 727 | 7.9 | ▼ Down 21% |
| 1997 | 920 | 10.1 | ▼ Down 16% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate (1) | Year-to-Year Trend (2) |
| 1996 | 1,089 | 12.0 | ▼ Down 17% |
| 1995 | 1,318 | 14.5 | ▼ Down 3% |
| 1994 | 1,355 | 14.9 | ▼ Down 9% |
| 1993 | 1,493 | 16.5 | ▼ Down 3% |
| 1992 | 1,544 | 17.1 | ▲ Up 7% |
| Year | Gun Homicides in L.A. County | Gun Homicide Rate (1) | Year-to-Year Trend (2) |
| 1991 | 1,440 | 16.2 | ▲ Up 10% |
| 1990 | 1,313 | 14.9 | ▲ Up 18% |
| 1989 | 1,117 | 12.8 | ▲ Up 21% |
| 1988 | 924 | 10.8 | ▲ Up 0.33% |
| 1987 | 921 | 10.9 | --- |
(1) Rate of crimes for every 100,000 population, calculated from the number of reported crimes, divided by a given population number (here the 2023 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.
Athough Compton has long suffered being in the lead for gun-related homicide rates, it has recently been surpassed by some of its sister communities. Monterey Park suffered a horrific mass shooting in 2023 that spiked its gun homicide rate. Duarte also saw an unprecedented spike in gun homicides that same year. Santa Fe Springs, which ended 2023 with Los Angeles County's highest gun homicide rate, also saw a spike in gun homicides.
Cities listed below are ordered by 2023 gun homicide rate, highest to lowest. Cities not listed reported no gun homicides from 2019 through 2023.
Click here for latest estimated population by city in Los Angeles County.
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Springs | 32.1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ▲ |
| Duarte | 21.8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Monterey Park | 20.1 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Compton | 18.1 | 17 | 15 | 31 | 18 | 18 | ▼ |
| Commerce, City of | 16.6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ▲ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Culver City | 15.1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Cerritos | 14.6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Lancaster | 13.3 | 23 | 12 | 18 | 7 | 4 | ▲ |
| Inglewood | 13.1 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 3 | ▲ |
| Malibu | 9.4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Pomona | 8.6 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 8 | ▲ |
| Hawthorne | 8.2 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | ▲ |
| South Gate | 0.8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | ▲ |
| Norwalk | 6.9 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ▲ |
| Unincorporated County | 0.7 | 66 | 67 | 109 | 76 | 54 | ▲ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Pico Rivera | 6.6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ▲ |
| Los Angeles | 6.2 | 237 | 279 | 303 | 260 | 173 | ▲ |
| Artesia | 6.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ▶ |
| Bell | 6.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ▲ |
| Rancho Palos Verdes | 4.9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▲ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Palmdale | 4.8 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 3 | ▲ |
| Pasadena | 4.3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ▲ |
| Carson | 4.3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | ▼ |
| San Fernando | 4.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ▶ |
| Long Beach | 3.9 | 18 | 25 | 34 | 20 | 24 | ▼ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Gardena | 3.3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ▼ |
| Montebello | 3.2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▲ |
| Lynwood | 3.0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | ▼ |
| San Dimas | 2.9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Bellflower | 2.6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | ▶ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Bell Gardens | 2.6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ▲ |
| Alhambra | 2.4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ▼ |
| La Mirada | 2.1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ▲ |
| Azusa | 2.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ▼ |
| Rosemead | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ▶ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Santa Clarita | 1.3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ▶ |
| Lakewood | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Whittier | 0.1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | ▶ |
| El Monte | 0.9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | ▼ |
| West Covina | 0.1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | ▼ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Glendale | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | ▼ |
| Agoura Hills | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Arcadia | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Baldwin Park | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ▼ |
| Beverly Hills | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ▼ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Burbank | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ▼ |
| Claremont | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Covina | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ▼ |
| Cudahy | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | ▼ |
| Diamond Bar | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Downey | 0.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ▼ |
| Glendora | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▼ |
| Hawaiian Gardens | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| Huntington Park | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | ▼ |
| La Habra Heights | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| La Puente | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | ▼ |
| Lawndale | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ▼ |
| Lomita | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | ▶ |
| Maywood | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | ▼ |
| Monrovia | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Paramount | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | ▼ |
| Redondo Beach | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| San Gabriel | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
| Santa Monica | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ▼ |
| Temple City | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ▼ |
| City | 2023 Gun Homicide Rate (1) | 2023 Gun Homicides | 2022 Gun Homicides | 2021 Gun Homicides | 2020 Gun Homicides | 2019 Gun Homicides | Trend 2019-2023 (2) |
| Torrance | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ▼ |
| Walnut | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ▶ |
| West Hollywood | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ▶ |
(1) Rate of crimes for every 100,000 population (even if a community has a smaller population than that), calculated from the number of reported crimes, divided by a given population number (here 2023 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 2019 through 2023.
▶ Represents a relatively steady trend in the gun homicide rate from 2019 through 2023.
▼ Represents a downward trend in the gun homicide rate from 2019 through 2023.
Data source: Open Justice Data, California Department of Justice, except for City of Los Angeles data for 2020, derived from Los Angeles Open Data.
