NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The number of murders in Tennessee jumped 37% last year compared to 2019, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2020 Crime in Tennessee report.
That makes last year one of the deadliest since 2002, The Tennessean reported. The numbers rose from 498 in 2019 to 682 in 2020.
The report, which includes crime statistics from every law enforcement agency in Tennessee, also showed an increase in aggravated assault cases.
Other crimes, including juvenile arrests on charges including murder and assault, decreased. There were 9,317 youths arrested in 2020, which was down 34% from 2019.
The bureau attributed most of the declines to the coronavirus pandemic, which closed community-based social venues including work and school.