Rochester Still has More Homicide per Capita than Colombia or Mexico, Significantly Worse than Haiti

James Fernandez-Reyes (16), arrested in June of last year, was named a person of interest in the killing of a 12-year-old Rochester boy and a triple homicide suspect in PA.

An analysis of the most current United Nations (UN) homicide data shows Rochester, NY, had a higher rate of intentional homicide (27.5) in 2023 than Mexico or Columbia’s most recent reporting and nearly 153% that of Haiti.

Rochester was recently listed as “one of the best places to live” in New York.

James Fernandez-Reyes (16), arrested in June of last year, was named a person of interest in the killing of a 12-year-old Rochester boy and a triple homicide suspect in a shooting that killed two minors and one adult in Lebanon, PA. There have been no updates from PA or NYS.

The GVO unofficially counts 58 intentional homicides for 2023: Rochester has 57 intentional homicides listed in their Open Data Portal and a gunshot fatality publicized from 30 December.

Rochester, if made a country, would get the better of Belize, ranking just below the South American murder hub. If staying on the same continent, Rochesterians would perhaps find relaxation a bit easier in Ecuador, which came in with a slightly lower rate than the Flower City at 26.11.

Homicide rates are counted locally by volume and typically analyzed at a per capita rate of 100,000 people regionally. Dividing 58 by the total population and multiplying by 100,000 gives you a homicide rate.

In this case, roughly 27.5.

We utilized the police’s supplied population number of 211,000. Their calculations appear to round up or not be working with the precise amount of 211,000 for the resident population.

This data is often updated two weeks after the occurrence of a homicide event. This is not unusual.

Notably, most of the UN data is from 2022, 2021, or earlier and is shown for comparative purposes only.

Previously, the GVO had estimated Rochester’s rate of homicide to be nearly identical to that of the last available data for Nigeria, an African nation that was recently the epicenter of a Christmas massacre that resulted in the deaths of over 100 Christians. However, with recently made available data from 2019, the Nigerians may have the last laugh at just above 21.