NORFOLK, Va. — It's no secret that violence affected people across Hampton Roads over the past year, but according to 13News Now records, the rate of homicides across Hampton Roads has dropped.
2023 marked 197 homicides this year. It's the fewest seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some cities set records within their city limits.
Newport News
Newport News police report 45 homicides for 2023. It's a record for the city and a grim milestone for city leaders.
The last recorded homicide occurred just six days before the end of the year on Saint Michael's Way.
It's a drastic increase in comparison to 2022, which reported only 31 homicides for the entire year.
Norfolk
Norfolk police investigated 42 homicides in 2023, including one that involved the son of a prominent anti-violence activist.
33-year-old Ali Muhammad died after investigators say he was approached by an armed man who shot Muhammad as he got in his car to go to work.
Despite the tragedies, this is the lowest amount of homicides seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and a significant difference in comparison to 2022.
2022 marked 63 victims for the entire year in Norfolk.
Chesapeake
Chesapeake police say they investigated 9 homicides in 2023. This is a dramatic decrease in comparison to 2022, which marked one of the city's deadliest years with 25 homicides.
Two days before Thanksgiving, a Walmart employee walked into the store on Sam’s Circle and opened fire, killing six people.
The six deaths contributed to Chesapeake’s worst year on record, according to FBI data dating back to 1985.
Chesapeake averaged 10 homicides a year from 2011-2020.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth police investigated 38 homicides last year, another slight decrease in comparison to 2022.
Another prominent anti-violence activist lost a family member to gun violence in September. 31-year-old Erica Atkins died as part of a triple shooting that left two others injured. Investigators marked a record amount in 2022 with 42 homicides.
Hampton
Hampton was one of the few cities to report an increase in murders for 2023.
The department investigated 29 homicides in 2023, which is a slight increase from 24 homicides reported in 2022.
Virginia Beach
According to 13News Now records, there were 23 homicides last year in Virginia Beach, which is a slight increase from 2022.
A spokesman with Virginia Beach police said investigators are still determining the final numbers seen for the year.
Suffolk
Suffolk police reported 11 homicides in 2023, which is another slight decrease in comparison to 2022 which was a record of 13 murders.
The city averaged just four homicides a year from 2011-2020.