Despite the best efforts of Republicans and the National Rifle Association, homicides in the United States dropped an amazing 13% in 2023, with roughly 2,000 fewer deaths according to preliminary data, ABC News reports. St Louis, New Orleans, Baltimore, Atlanta and Portland saw homicide rates drop by at least 20% each, with New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Charlotte recording reductions of at least 11%.
Philadelphia saw a 25% decrease after setting a record high in 2021, and Detroit saw its lowest homicide rate since the 1960s. With American GDP rising 5.2% in the third quarter, a plummeting murder rate will give Jim Jordan–he who frequently posts about mass murders in other cities without proposing any solutions–less to tweet about. Guns still account for roughly three-quarters of all homicide weapons.