Baltimore Reaches 100 Homicides, But Sees Record Decline in Violence

Baltimore marked its 100th homicide of the year on Thursday after a fatal stabbing in Westport, a tragic reminder that even as numbers improve, one life lost is still too many.

Police said the victim, an unidentified man, was found on Sidney Avenue just after 4:30 p.m. Community leaders were quick to acknowledge the pain behind the statistic. “The loss of one life is one too many,” said Pastor Antoine Burton, president of the nonprofit We Our Us.

In the Face of Progress

But there’s another side to the story: Baltimore is seeing progress. The city hit the 100-homicide mark much later this year than in years past: April 19 in 2022, May 14 in 2023, and July 14 in 2024. Homicides are also down 31% compared to last year, with 145 recorded by this time in 2024.

“This is the lowest number of homicides we’ve had on this date on record,” Mayor Brandon Scott said. “But it’s still not good enough for me. We have to continue to drive violence down.”

The drop reflects years of work from both city officials and grassroots groups. Initiatives like the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and community efforts led by We Our Us have been credited with preventing conflicts before they spiral. Burton pointed to their “Stop the Beef” hotline, which has mediated hundreds of disputes in 2025 alone. The group also invests in youth programs and community resources aimed at tackling the root causes of violence.

For leaders on the ground, the vision is bigger than lower numbers. “In my 50-odd years, I’ve never seen Baltimore under 100 homicides,” said Corey Barnes of GraceCity Church. “I believe we can hit that in this lifetime.”

Mayor Scott echoed the same hope: “We should not rest in our city until no one loses their life to violence.”

Continuing to Pray for Our City and Those Lost

My heart goes out to the family of Thursday’s stabbing victim in Westport. Although Baltimore is seeing improvement against violence, it’s still heartbreaking to lose anyone. I commend Mayor Scott, city officials, and community leaders for their continued efforts to keep our city safe.

However, there’s still work to be done.