Washington, DCĀ – Gun-related assaults in the District have fallen sharply in the past two years, reaching their lowest mid-year level since before the pandemic, according to new figures from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ).
Between January and June 2025, Washington recorded a gun assault rate of just over 33 per 100,000 residents.
In June alone, there were 41 reported gun assaults – a rate of 5.8 per 100,000 – marking a dramatic 61% decline from the cityās recent high in July 2023, when 100 incidents were reported (14.7 per 100,000).
CCJās analysis shows two major peaks in gun assault activity over the past seven years. The first came in September 2021, with 99 incidents (14.5 per 100,000), followed closely by the all-time high in July 2023.
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Both surges were part of broader national increases in gun violence during and after the pandemic.
Since mid-2023, however, DC has seen a consistent and steep decline in gun assaults. The first half of 2025 reflects the lowest levels since before the pandemic, with rates significantly below both the 2021 and 2023 spikes.
While the reasons for the drop are still under study, public safety experts point to intensified policing in high-violence areas, community-based violence interruption programs, and increased federal prosecutions for gun crimes as contributing factors.
The trend mirrors a wider national pattern of falling gun assaults in many major cities, though CCJ notes that year-to-year fluctuations remain common and that sustained reductions will require ongoing intervention efforts.
The latest half-year figures suggest that Washington, DC is making meaningful progress in curbing gun violence – a shift that could help reshape public safety in the city if the trend continues.