Los Angeles Homicides May Top 300 This Year, Highest Since 2009, Chief Predicts

A police officer stands with armed members of the National Guard facing protesters in front of the Los Angeles Police Department on June 1, 2020. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Los Angeles might see more than 300 homicides by the end of the year, which would be the highest number since 2009, Police Chief Michel Moore said.

As of Oct. 17, there had been 266 homicides, an increase of 25 percent over the same period last year, Moore said during a City Commission meeting. The total number of homicides for all of 2019 was 253, while in 2018, there were 260.