The city of Peoria recorded three homicides in the first four months of 2026, compared to two at the same point in 2025. Just one of those cases has been solved.
The number of shooting incidents and gunshot victims has held roughly steady compared to the same period last year, according to a new report from the Peoria Police Department.
The first homicide of the year came in March. It was caused by a stabbing. The other two victims were shot and killed in April, including a 17-year-old killed on April 26.
The department's full-year 2025 data shows all 12 homicides last year were solved.
The city recorded 13 shooting incidents through April, down from 14 during the same window in 2025. The number of gunshot victims — 15 — is unchanged. Those numbers are down noticeably from 2024, when the city had 20 shootings, 22 gunshot victims and four homicides through the first four months of the year.
ShotSpotter alerts and the number of rounds detected by the system have both climbed, with the system logging 339 alerts and detecting 1,372 rounds fired, compared to 299 alerts and 1,099 rounds in the same period last year.
April accounted for nearly half of the year's shooting incidents, with six of the city's 13 recorded shootings occurring that month. Three of those happened on a single day, April 26.
The 2026 shooting victims skew young and predominantly male. Of the 15 gunshot victims recorded so far, 13 are males and two are females. The average age of victims is 27, nearly identical to last year's 26.
Peoria police have recovered 118 weapons so far this year, slightly fewer than the 122 recovered through April 2025. Eighteen of those were stolen weapons, down from 22.
The department's anonymous tip line has received 182 tips so far in 2026, with 40 coming in over the past 30 days.
