The city of Peoria is seeing a slight increase in the number of shootings in 2026 compared to the same time in 2025, along with a jump in the number of homicides.
The Peoria Police Department released its year-to-date crime report Tuesday for the first five months of 2026, showing a 5% increase in shootings from the same time period in 2025 and a 33% increase in the number of homicides.
In total, the city has seen 20 shooting incidents from the start of the year until the end of May, just one more than the 19 in that same period of time in 2025. Both of those numbers are down around 30% from the 28 recorded in 2024.
The report lists four homicides in 2026, up from three at this same time in 2025 and down from five in 2024. The number of homicides by gunshots also went up in the first five months of 2026, with three seen from January-May compared with two in 2025, an increase of 50%.
The number of shooting victims also went up, with 22 in the first part of 2026 compared with 20 at the same time in 2025, a 10% increase year-over-year. Both numbers are significant declines from the 31 in 2024, with a 29% seen from 2024-26.
In more positive news, the city is seeing a slight decrease in the number of ShotSpotter alerts, with 393 reported in 2026 compared to 399 in 2025, continuing the decline seen from 2024, when 502 alerts were reported over the first five months of that year.
The number of rounds fired in 2026 has increased to 1,555, according to the police department, which represents an increase of 8% of the 1,418 fired in 2024. While elevated, it does represent a 33% decrease from 2024, where 2,317 rounds fired were reported.
The number of weapons recovered has remained steady, with 150 recovered in 2026 compared to 149 in 2025, while 23 stolen weapons have been recovered compared to 24 in 2025.
The city’s 22 shooting victims have an average age of 27 years old, ranging from a 15-year-old to a 53-year-old. The majority of the victims are Black men, with 13 black males being shot, compared to five White men and four Black women.
The city’s 2026 homicide victims range in age from 17-year-old Jarvis Allison, Jr. – killed on April 26 at Laura Bradley Park – to 42-year-old Ashley Stenson, who was killed during a domestic disturbance involving 41-year-old Cortez White of St. Louis, who was shot by police responding to the scene and eventually died at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center.
The other two victims were 35-year-old Zachary White, who was stabbed to death at his home on March 5, and 23-year-old Marnelius Alexander, shot to death outside a gas station in South Peoria on April 15.
The slight increase in violent crime comes as the Peoria Police Department is transitioning to a new police chief, Brad Dixon, who replaced Eric Echevarria last month. Under Echevarria’s leadership, the city saw significant declines in gun violence and homicides, with a 63% drop in homicides and a 48% drop in the number of shootings and shooting victims.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria reports slight increase in shootings and homicides in 2026
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
