Data from 30 US cities was examined in the report.
If the trend continues, the annual murder rate is expected to be the lowest in more than a century when the final figures are released at the end of the year.
Among the possible explanations is reduced drug use, which leads to fewer purchases in illegal markets that are often linked to violence, according to researcher John Roman at the University of Chicago, who spoke to the AP.
Roman also cites investments in social projects for young people after the pandemic. The projects have, among other things, funded social workers who work with young people most at risk of both being exposed to and perpetrating violence.
