A KHOU 11 Investigates analysis of Houston police data shows most neighborhoods are getting safer, but Third Ward is moving in the opposite direction.
HOUSTON — Murders are down across Houston, dropping to an 8-year low last year.
But a KHOU 11 Investigates analysis found that trend isn’t being felt everywhere.
In fact, in one neighborhood, Third Ward, killings are rising.
“The city has abandoned us,” said Ed Pettitt, vice president of the Third Ward Super Neighborhood. “All you’ve done is shifted the crime to sacrifice zones like Third Ward.”
KHOU 11 analyzed a year’s worth of Houston Police Department data and found just 12 of the city’s 96 ZIP codes saw an increase in murders in 2025.
ZIP code 77004 which includes Third Ward saw killings nearly double, from 7 to 13.
For families impacted, those numbers are more than statistics.
“He’s one of those numbers… it’s unbelievable,” said a family member of 18-year-old Gregory Warren Jr.
Warren was shot and killed in broad daylight in the heart of Third Ward last year. His father and stepmother spoke with KHOU 11 from Seattle.
“His life matters… he definitely mattered to all of us,” they said. “Murder is different than death, especially when it’s your child.”
Just nine days after his killing, Warren’s mother died suddenly compounding the family’s grief.
“It’s very sad, very heart-wrenching and unreal,” they said.
Residents say stories like this are far too common in Third Ward
KHOU 11 took those concerns to City Hall.
When asked about the increase, District D Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz acknowledged the concern.
“The loss of any life is one life too many, certainly it’s a concern,” she said.
But when pressed on why Third Ward is trending in the opposite direction, she said:
“It’s really hard to say why.”
Shabazz pointed to problematic nightlife along Emancipation Avenue as a contributing factor, but said a new Houston Police Department task force is helping. She also said additional lighting is expected to be installed along the Columbia Tap Trail later this month.
“Is the city doing enough? KHOU 11 reporter Marcelino Benito asked. “I believe so,” Shabazz said.
“We’re not getting answers and we’re not getting solutions,” Pettitt said. “The city likes to use Third Ward as a backdrop, but we don’t see the fruits of the money coming into neighborhoods like ours. I think it has been forgotten.”
KHOU 11 has reached out to the Houston Police Department for comment and is waiting to hear back.
Explore the data
If you’re wondering what this looks like in your neighborhood, KHOU 11 has built an interactive map showing every murder in Houston, searchable by location. It’s available now here.