The $30 million undercount

An investigation by LAist and The LA Local found that the Los Angeles Police Department's data undercounts the number of unhoused people who have been shot and killed in the city since 2015.

The investigation also found that the county's medical examiner records show an additional two dozen fatal shootings from 2024 and 2025 that do not appear to be included in LAPD data.

According to the investigation, at least 278 of the city's unhoused residents have been shot and killed since 2015, according to an analysis of data from the Los Angeles Police Department.

This number is an undercount as the data does not include fatal shootings from 2024 and 2025 that were not reflected in LAPD data.

Medical examiner records are not exhaustive either, the office estimates that about 20% of deaths among the county's unhoused population aren't reported to their department.

A 20-year spike in violence

In 2014, there were no killings of this kind,while in 2022, there were 60.

This surge is attributed to fewer social supports, rising gun sales, and an increase in joblessness, mental illness, and substance abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following a decline, LAPD data show that fatal shootings of unhoused people stayed nearly the same between 2024 and 2025, even as overall homicides in the city last year fell by 19%.

The youngest victim

The youngest shooting victim found in the medical examiner's records was a 15-year-old boy who was shot seven times, mostly in the back, during a drive-by in Florence-Graham in 2024 .

He was left on the street, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by the city's unhoused population.

Mayor Bass's challenge

The investigation highlights the need for Mayor Bass to continue bringing people inside from the street and encampments.

When people are left on the street, they are exponentially more likely to encounter violence.

The city's unhoused population, nearly 27,000 men, women and children, face a persistent danger of fatal shootings , making it the biggest population of its kind found anywhere in America.