Crime in Rhode Island

In 2019, there were 25 murders, 491 rapes, 418 robberies, and 2,321 burglaries reported in the U.S. state of Rhode Island.[1]

Capital punishment laws

Capital punishment is not applied in this state.[2]

History

The first formal law system in Rhode Island was established in 1647,[3] which created a code, which was based on the English criminal code, but could also be changed to the likings of the colonists.[3] According to this, each person was disallowed from Murder, Witchcraft, Burglary, Theft, Fornication, and High Treason,[3] the latter requiring being sent to trial in England, and the rest being punishable by imprisonment.

Notable incidents

Lee’s Cathay Terrance massacre

On June 17, 1978 in Warwick, Gan Fong Chin, a man with a history of mental problems, entered his former workplace, Lee’s Cathay Terrance, and shot and killed 4 of his co-workers (Including a pregnant woman) with a rifle.[4][5]During the shooting, an elderly patron died of heart attack.[6][7] He was convicted of the murders and received four life sentences.[8] It is one of the worst mass murders in Rhode Island’s history and the deadliest mass shooting in Rhode Island.

Notable Cases

2026 - 2026 Pawtucket shooting

References

  1. ↑ "Rhode Island Crime Rates 1960 to 2019".
  2. ↑ "Facts about capital punishment - the death penalty". Archived from the original on June 21, 2000.
  3. 1 2 3 Staples, William (1853). "History of the Criminal Law of Rhode Island" (PDF). HELIN State Law Library.
  4. ↑ "Former cook convicted in restaurant massacre - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  5. ↑ "Rhode Island Cook Is Arraigned In 4 Shooting Deaths at Restaurant". The New York Times. 1978-06-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  6. ↑ reports, From news services and staff (1978-06-19). "Restaurant Shooting Spree". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  7. ↑ "Suspect Indicted in Killing of". The New York Times. 1978-07-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  8. ↑ "Quadruple killer denied new trial - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
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