King County experienced a significant decline in gun violence throughout 2025, with shooting victim numbers falling to their lowest levels since before the pandemic. According to the 2025 Year End Shots Fired Review from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO), the total number of shooting victims for the year was 235—a sharp contrast to the 487 victims recorded during the peak in 2021. Total shots fired incidents for the year reached 1,057, moving closer to pre-pandemic figures.
The fourth quarter of 2025 was particularly notable for its record-low statistics. The county reported 201 total shots fired incidents, which included 13 fatal shooting victims and 26 non-fatal victims. This represents a 46% decrease in overall incidents compared to Q4 of 2024 and a 55% decrease in the total number of victims. Officials noted that the number of non-fatal injury victims in Q4 reached an eight-year low, dropping 73% from the peak seen in 2021.
The demographics of gun violence also underwent a significant shift in late 2025. For the first time in five years during a fourth quarter, Black or African American males did not represent the majority of shooting victims; instead, 38% of victims were identified as White and 31% as Black or African American. However, for the full year of 2025, Black or African American males remained the majority of victims overall. Notably, there was a 61% decrease in juvenile shooting victims compared to 2024, with only 24 victims aged 0-17 reported in 2025—the lowest number seen in years.
The KCPAO emphasized that while these numbers show a positive trend, the data relies on reports from various law enforcement agencies, including those in Auburn, Bellevue, Kent, and Renton, and may be updated as more information becomes available
