Violent crime in Minneapolis is 247% more prevalent than in the rest of the Midwest, according to 2020 FBI crime statistics.
Violent crime includes rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide. The violent crime rate in Minneapolis is 956 per 100,000 residents, compared to 385 per 100,000 in the rest of the 12-state Midwest. The violent crime rate in Chicago is a slightly lower 948 per 100,000.
The overall violent crime rate in Minnesota is the lowest in the Midwest, sitting at 278 crimes per 100,000 residents, according to The Center Square. However, the state also experienced the fourth-largest jump in violence from 2019-2020 behind Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Kentucky.
2020 FBI violent crime data:
The lion’s share of violent crime victims in Minnesota are white, while the average offender is black, per FBI data.
Minnesota’s increase in violent crime was driven in part by killing as homicides increased 58% from 2019 to 2020.
Much of this killing is the result of gun violence in Minneapolis. 503 people have been struck by gunfire in the city so far this year, according to the Public Health and Safety Committee, which also reports that 83% of shooting victims in the city have been black. The majority of shooters are also black, according to Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.
“85% of people who are perpetrating those crimes [shootings] look like us,” he said, speaking at a local church Saturday. “The biggest threat to public safety in our city, specifically the African-American community, it ain’t somebody who’s wearing this uniform,” he added, pointing to his own police gear.
Meanwhile, many pundits seem confused about what could be driving the high rates of violence experienced by black communities. “Criminal justice experts have no clear explanation for the rise in murders of Black men by other Black men,” writes Fox News analyst Juan Williams for The Hill.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
