Lexington, Ky broke its annual homicide rate per capita record in 2022

[Updated December 31]

Lexington, Ky–Fayette County had 12.9 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2022, breaking the previous record of 11.42, set in 1986, a year that included a mass murder that left five dead. Lexington’s homicide rate is almost double the US average of 6.52 per 100,000, according to Wikipedia.

Friday’s deadly shooting on Bradley Court was Lexington’s 44th homicide of the year.

At 7:20 p.m., on Friday, December 30, 2022, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Bradley Court for a shooting. When officers arrived, they located three male victims suffering from gunshot wounds on the sidewalk. The first male victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second male victim suffered reported life-threatening injuries and the third male victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both were transported to a local hospital.

LPD Press Release

Rate/100k	Year	Pop.	Murders
3.36	1985	208,000	7
11.42	1986	210,000	24
1.40	1987	213,000	3
NO DATA	1988	216,000
5.02	1989	219,000	11
9.50	1990	221,000	21
5.80	1991	224,000	13
7.92	1992	227,000	18
3.47	1993	230,000	8
7.29	1994	233,000	17
5.93	1995	236,000	14
5.02	1996	239,000	12
9.91	1997	242,000	24
8.97	1998	245,000	22
9.63	1999	249,000	24
4.36	2000	252,000	11
9.37	2001	256,000	24
5.79	2002	259,000	15
6.84	2003	263,000	18
8.98	2004	267,000	24
5.53	2005	271,000	15
3.27	2006	275,000	9
5.73	2007	279,000	16
4.24	2008	283,000	12
4.52	2009	287,000	13
6.18	2010	291,000	18
4.72	2011	296,000	14
4	2012	300,000	12
5.92	2013	304,000	18
6.47	2014	309,000	20
4.79	2015	313,000	15
7.54	2016	318,000	24
8.97	2017	323,000	29
6.72	2018	327,000	22
9.06	2019	331,000	30
8.38	2020	334,000	28
10.97	2021	337,000	37
12.90	2022	341,000	44

Story updated December 31, 2022. Originally published October 25, 2022.