Tracking gun violence in Philadelphia: September 1, 2020

• The number of people shot in Philadelphia fell to 51 for the seven-day period ending Sunday. The previous week’s total was revised up from 72 to 74 shooting victims. This update brings the year-to-date total to 1,334 shooting victims reported in in the city; up 41.8 % vs. the same number of weeks during 2019. [Philadelphia Police]

• The latest data show 235 people shot in Philadelphia during the first 26 days of August, already making it the fourth consecutive record-breaking month in the city’s open data set looking back to January, 2015. An average of 107 people were shot in the city each month during the previous five years, 2015-1019. [Open Data Philly]

• Weekend violence pushed Philadelphia’s year-to-date homicide total over 300. This year’s pace is running 33 percent ahead of last year’s and 85 percent ahead of the rate recorded at this point in 2013. [Philadelphia Police]

• Philadelphia surpassed 40 homicides for the third straight month in August. That hadn’t happened since 1993. [Twitter]

Mass shootings

• Five people were shot in one North Philadelphia incident early Monday. Four people were shot in one East Germantown incident last Wednesday night. [FOX29/CBSPhilly]

• Shootings with four of more victims have been reported 19 times this year in Philadelphia. [Gun Violence Archive]

Local voices

• Harrisburg lawmakers must join law-abiding gun owners who support violence prevention. [Dr. Ruth Abaya for The The Philadelphia Inquirer]

• West Philly residents don’t think more “law and order” is the solution to gun violence. [Maura Ewing for Slate]

• Predictive policing worsens suffering in distressed neighborhoods. [Hannah Sassaman for Wired]

Local activism

• Teens and young adults marched from Center City to South Philadelphia on Sunday in an effort to reach out to the shooters. [WHYY]

• Residents from the 6100 Christian Street community came together for gun violence prevention last week. [Twitter]

• The Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity held a virtual town hall to discuss gun violence solutions. [WHYY]

• YEAH Philly hosted a kickball game. [Twitter]

• Opportunities to turn in guns continued. [Twitter]

Reporting practices

• Associated Press national writer on race and ethnicity Kat Stafford shared a thread explaining why the local breaking news beat is “an integral part of community coverage.” [Twitter]

• Movement journalism “⁠meets the needs of communities directly affected by injustice.” [Nieman Reports]

• Looking for new sources? Most of the experts who presented at out Summit last fall are accessible via Twitter. [IBGVR]

National perspectives

• Murders are up across the US this year, according to data analyst Jeff Asher. (Last year Asher created the Philadelphia Shooting Victims Dashboard we introduced at our Summit.) [Twitter/IBGVR]

• The gunman who killed seven people and injured 25 last year in Odessa, Texas purchased his AR-style rifle in a private sale after failing a commercial background check. [mrt.com]

• Unchecked vigilante violence could lead to more shootings. [The Atlantic]

Reality check

• Gun violence is spiking in cities with both Democratic and Republican leaders. [Vox]

Complications

• Living with gun violence makes it difficult for students to focus. [The Washington Post]

Police killings

• “Events widely perceived to reflect structural racism cause significant harm to the mental health of black Americans,” according to a 2018 study co-led by a Penn researcher. [Penn Medicine News]

• “How was the officer or officers involved?” The AP Stylebook says to avoid the use of “officer-involved” shootings. [Twitter]

National responses

• Several cities distressed by shootings are coming together to address the threat of “ghost guns.” [Patch]

• Pediatricians are calling for an end to exposing children to “high-intensity” school shooter drills. [Pediatrics]

• Teachers wounded in a drill last year have filed a lawsuit. [IndyStar]

Solutions of the Week

• Washington D.C.’s chief medical examiner has been appointed that city’s interim deputy mayor for public safety and justice. He plans to address violence as a public health issue. [The Washington Post]

• Violence interrupters in Washington, DC, used Zoom to negotiate a truce between warring street crews. [The Washington Post]

Getting help in Philadelphia

• People affected by gun violence in Philadelphia can find resources online. [Billy Penn]

• Safe gun storage prevents unintentional shootings and people in Philadelphia are invited to get a free gun lock. [Temple Safety Net]