Louisville police tout 30% decrease in homicides, non-fatal shootings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville police said homicides, non-fatal shootings and carjackings are all down more than 30% so far in 2025.

"These are results that are not just because of the work that our officers are doing but it's because of the work our community is doing with our officers and with each other," Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Emily McKinley said during a news conference Wednesday.

McKinley said homicides are down 33%, with 97 at this point in 2024 compared to 64 in 2025. Non-fatal shooting victims decreased 31% from last year to this year. There were 239 victims in 2024, and, so far in 2025, there have been 166 victims. And carjackings have also gone down 31% — 95 in 2024 and 66 in 2025.

The one crime that's up this year from last is robberies of banks and businesses. That's up 11%, though McKinley 41 at this point is still a historically  low number for Louisville.

She credits these low numbers to LMPD officers and the community coming together.

McKinley also added LMPD has made significant progress in reducing violent crimes and things are going in the right direction.

"These are fewer families, fewer individuals, fewer people who are experiencing the trauma and the fear that gun violence does to a community and does to an individual," she said.

New drone technology

LMPD's SWAT team released video Wednesday showing how they use drones to help keep officers safe.

The drone video police showed is from a standoff in Shively on July 24, 2025, when a man was arrested after police say he fired shots at SWAT members. It shows the drone going into the house and checking for any potential threats so SWAT members don't have to.

After the drone scans the house, officers believe the suspect is in the basement, so they place an explosive charge on the door for entry. The drone videos the explosion, showing several rounds being fired from behind the basement door. The drone even zooms in showing one of the bullet holes in the door.

Officers then put irritants in the basement, causing the suspect and the woman with him to surrender peacefully. Once the suspect and the woman were out, they sent the drone back in, showing several rifles that were staged in the basement.

"By utilizing this drone, it's not having to send our guys in there and potentially be in harm's way and also potentially have to exchange gunfire with somebody who might be in there wanting to do harm to us," SWAT Commander Lt. Joel Casse said during a news conference Wednesday.

Casse said he believes several officers would have been hurt in the standoff if they didn't have the technology of the drone.

The man in the home, William Fry, is charged with wanton endangerment of a police officer, attempted murder of a first responder, unlawful imprisonment and terroristic threatening.

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