Shootings in Boston were down in January this year compared to last, statistics recently released by police show.

The city experienced seven shootings — five single and two double shootings in which two people were killed and seven were injured — between Jan. 1 and Feb 2. — notably less than the 14 total incidents that occurred in the same timeframe last year, according to the data released by the Boston Police Department this week.

Still, Boston saw three homicides within that period in both this year and last year, the numbers show. The department also reports a year-over-year increase in both domestic and non-domestic aggravated assaults, up to 95 and 153 from 67 and 136, respectively.


Police recorded 52 firearm-related arrests this year through Feb. 2, compared to 49 arrests during that time last year, according to the data. Those numbers include cases of “default warrant arrests for past firearm charges and arrests for assault by means of a firearm where no gun is recovered, in addition to straight firearm arrests with a gun recovery,” the department says.

Robbery and attempted robbery incidents also rose over the approximately month-long span, compared to last year, from 82 in 2019 to 102 in January 2020, as did larceny from a motor vehicle, from 217 to 239 reported incidents. Other larceny cases decreased to 580 from 627 cases.

Additionally, the department recorded a slight decrease in the number of reported rape and attempted rape cases, down to 15 incidents this past January compared to the 25 logged last year, the statistics show.

Burglaries also decreased, although in general, the department recorded slightly more “part one” crime cases — which include homicide, assault, rape and attempted rape, robbery and attempted robbery, burglary, larceny, and auto theft — this year than last, or 1,405 cases this year compared to 1,396 in January 2019, the data shows.

According to the department, the data is considered preliminary and could change once coding is complete.

See the data.