The number of murders in the United States rose nearly 30 per cent in 2020 and overall violent crime rose for the first time in four years, the FBI says in its annual crime report, in a surge experts attribute in part to COVID-19 hardships.
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Murder and non-negligent manslaughter offences rose 29.4 per cent in 2020 over 2019, marking the largest annual increase since national records began in the 1960s, the New York Times and Washington Post reported on Monday.
Overall violent crime was up 5.6 per cent to nearly 1.3 million incidents, although property crime fell 7.8 per cent to nearly 6.5 million incidents, marking the 18th consecutive year that property crimes have decreased, the FBI says.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting program collects data reported by law enforcement agencies across the country.
A greater percentage of homicides were the result of gun violence - 76 per cent in 2020 versus 73 per cent in 2019 - with Houston seeing a 55 per cent increase in gun homicides, reaching 343 in 2020 compared with 221 in 2019, the Washington Post reported.
US President Joe Biden has focused on gun violence in his anti-crime policy, urging greater co-operation among local and federal leaders.
Biden, who has pledged to push for sweeping changes to firearms laws , in June unveiled measures to stem the flow of firearms used in crimes.
Australian Associated Press
