The Federal Bureau of Investigation says an estimated 16,692 people were murdered nationwide in 2005, the latest full year for which there is data. That marked a 3.4 percent rise from 2004 and equals 5.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

In the first six months of 2006, robbery offenses rose 9.7 percent, murder was up 1.4 percent and aggravated assault increased 1.2 percent from a year earlier. Forcible rape offenses fell less than 0.1 percent.

In the same six-month period, US cities with populations of 500,000 to 999,999 saw the most marked increase in reported murder offenses, up 8.4 percent, according to preliminary data in the FBI's "Uniform Crime Reports".