Hate crime murders rose in 2018, according to new FBI data

The FBI's most recent Hate Crime Statistics Report, released on Tuesday, recorded 24 hate crime murders committed in 2018, a rise from the year before.

In total, 7,120 hate crime incidents were reported in 2018, with 8,646 victims. 16,039 law enforcement agencies contribute to the FBI's collection of hate crime data.

Following three years of increasing hate crime incidents, the number of hate crimes committed in 2018 is slightly down from that in 2017. Still, there was an increase in "crimes against persons," which includes intimidation and assault, in addition to homicide.

"We're seeing a leaner and meaner type of hate crime going on," Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino, said to NPR. "Homicides were up and crimes against persons were up and that's an important thing to look at."

The FBI report also shows an increase of hate crimes targeting individuals for their sexual orientation, from 1,130 incidents in 2017 to 1,196 incidents in 2018. Additionally, the number of hate crime incidences against transgender people increased almost 34 percent from 2017. Anti-Latino hate crimes rose as well.