After a violent start to the year, Seattle had 26 homicides in 2012--about average, reports the city's Times. Seattle had 22 homicides through June 30, then just four over the last half of the year, though Thursday. Amid the spate of violence, police pointed out that homicide rates can inexplicably spike and then drop off. And that's what happened this year.

The 26 homicides is right at the city's average for the past 10 years. During that time, the lowest total of homicides was 19 in 2010; the highest was 32 in 2003. The city's highest recorded yearly homicide total was 69 in 1994. Of the 26 homicide victims in 2012, all but three were killed with firearms.