SALT LAKE CITY — After two consecutive years of some of the highest homicide numbers the state has ever seen, the number of homicides in Utah took a big drop in 2022.

There were 80 homicides in Utah last year, according to data compiled by KSL.com. That's compared to 95 in 2021, 103 in 2020, 80 in 2019 and 78 in 2018. The 2022 number could go up if several open and ongoing investigations are later determined to be homicides.

Homicide is defined as the killing of one person at the hands of another, whether it is done intentionally, on accident or in self-defense. Murder is the legal term used for the unlawful killing of another person. A person who commits a homicide may not necessarily be charged with murder. For example, a fatal police shooting is considered a homicide, but most times is not determined by a county attorney to rise to the level of murder.

Guns once again accounted for two-thirds of deaths in 2022, with 51 victims being killed as a result of gunfire, or more than 64% of the state's homicides.

Thirteen people died during confrontations with police, four of them fatally shot in December alone. During those 13 incidents, police reported being shot at by the suspect in six cases, and the suspect brandishing a weapon in another five incidents. In one incident, a man was shot and killed after stabbing a police K-9. Another police K-9 was killed in a separate shootout. In 2021, 12 people were killed by police, according to KSL.com statistics.

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It was also another tragic year for domestic violence in Utah. At least 24 victims who were killed by a partner, relative or roommate — approximately a third of all homicide victims in the state. That's up from 20 in 2021, KSL.com counted in its statistics.

Thirty of 2022's 80 victims were under the age of 25 with the youngest being less than 2 months old. Sixteen of those victims were between the ages of 16 and 21. There were also 18 people arrested for investigation of murder in 2022 who were between the ages of 16 and 21, according to KSL.com statistics. In some homicide investigations, more than one person was arrested.

Of those 30 young victims, police say at least seven of them were killed in gang-related incidents or by members of a gang.

"It is always a tragedy when kids in our communities are victims of violent crimes. In 2022, our Metro Gang Unit saw an increase in gang-related homicides with many suspects also being juveniles, which adds the number of lives negatively impacted by gang violence," said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

Some of the violent incidents in 2022 that involved juveniles and young adults include:

• Tivani Lopati, 14, and Paul Tahi, 15, were shot and killed about a block away from Hunter High School during an altercation with another student. Another 15-year-old boy was also shot and critically injured. A 14-year-old boy arrested and later pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter.
• Bryan Galicia-Rodriguez, 17, was shot and killed in the driveway of his home after police say two teens with extensive juvenile records decided to follow him and carjack him at random. Nestor Del Valle, 17, and then 16-year-old Christian Rodriguez, of West Jordan, were charged as adults with murder.
• Gavin Hone, 16, of Lindon, was killed after police say a group of teens robbed him during a drug deal over marijuana vape cartridges, then beat him. During the incident, he fell from a moving vehicle and was run over. Five boys, ages 16 and 17, were arrested and charged in juvenile court.
• Fayzan Ali, 18, Ayash Mohamed, 18, and Mohamed Mohamed, 20, all from Millcreek, were attending a house party in West Jordan when either a car, or multiple cars, drove by and shots were fired. Investigators believe everyone involved in the shooting has gang ties and that the incident was a "targeted" act related to gang activity.

Utah had its most homicides in May with 12. In comparison, the state began 2023 with 15 homicides in January, including the tragic incident in Enoch where seven members of the same family were murdered.

To stay consistent with previous years, KSL.com included cases of manslaughter in its yearly statistics, but did not include incidents that were charged as automobile homicide. However, if those had been included, an additional 16 victims would be added to the list. A total of 19 people were killed in 2022 due to being involved in a crash or hit by a vehicle that was being operated in a reckless or negligent manner, according to our statistics. Three of those victims were under the age of 6, and three more were under 15.

Utah Highway Patrol Assistant Superintendent Jeff Nigbur says the statistics are another reminder of why the public needs to make good decisions while driving.

"Even if we have one, that concerns us. We want zero (fatalities), that's our goal," he said, while calling the 2022 numbers "sad."

"It's very very concerning," he said. "When people get behind the wheel, they need to make good decisions. You're essentially in control of a 1-ton weapon. We need to make better decisions behind the wheel."

Nigbur said the five areas that the UHP focuses on each year are speed, intoxicated drivers, seat belt usage, aggressive driving and vehicles with faulty equipment. Those will continue to be the main areas of focus and enforcement in 2023, and areas in which Nigbur hopes the public will do its part to make improvements.

Correction: An earlier version listed 78 homicides, but two were inadvertently excluded.

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