Tracking gun violence in Philadelphia: October 6, 2020

Every data point in this report represents impact on our neighbors, the people who love them, our communities and our city. We share this information to illuminate problems and solutions, add perspectives, inform decisions and hopefully improve lives by preventing violence.

Above: 228 people were shot last month in Philadelphia; down from 275 in August but still 87 percent ahead of the average of 122 shooting victims recorded in the city during the previous five Septembers. [Data.Phila.Gov]

Latest Philadelphia data

• Another 50 people were shot last week in Philadelphia, down from summer peaks but still ahead of the average of 27 people shot in the city each week during the previous five years. [Philadelphia Police via Google Drive]

• Weekend violence drove Philadelphia’s year-to-date homicide victim total closer to the number of people killed during all 365 days of 2019. [Philadelphia Police]

• Last year’s Roadmap to Safer Communities said “homicides in 2018 alone will result in close to $500 million in economic burden to Philadelphia.” The current year-to-date homicide count already exceeds the 2018 homicide total. [Phila.gov]

• By the end of September, at least 133 children and teens under age 18 had been wounded or killed in Philadelphia shootings this year, eclipsing recent yearlong totals with three months to go. [PCGVR]

• Philadelphia’s homicide rate now is the worst it has been since 1991. [Philadelphia City Controller]

In the news

• Five people were shot in one incident last week in the Logan section of Philadelphia, marking the ninth incident with five or more victims this year. Only eight incidents with five or more shooting victims were recorded in the city during all of 2019, four in 2018, two in 2017 and one in 2016. [6ABC / Gun Violence Archive]

• An estimated 110,000 guns were sold in Pennsylvania during September; 69 percent more than during September 2019. [The Trace]

Reality check

• While parents fear school shootings, suicide is far more common. Between 1991 and 2017, every 10% increase in state firearm ownership corresponded to a 39% increase in gun suicide among high school-aged students. [Juvenile Justice Information Exchange / ScienceDirect]

• Either their husbands or intimate acquaintances shot and killed 280 women during the course of an argument in the U.S. during 2018. [Violence Policy Center]

Here’s what you can do

• Register for this webinar to learn about Network of Neighbors, Philadelphia’s free citywide trauma response network and about virtual training opportunities for volunteers. [eventbrite]

Law

• A Pennsylvania court has ruled that a law that has for decades insulated the gun industry from lawsuits is unconstitutional. [The Trace]

Reporting gun violence

• Journalists shared their experiences covering the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon which took place five years ago last week. [Reporting Roseburg]

• The next episode of WHYY’s “Neighbors in the Crossfire” program will air tonight. You can watch the first two online now. [WHYY]

• The data catalog on our site was made available by the Expert Panel on Firearms Data Infrastructure. [PCGVR / NORC]

National resources

• Communicating credible info, developing new partnerships and leveraging trusted voices were among recommendations for community-based organizations in last week’s interim report from The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice. [Council on Criminal Justice]

• We can all learn from this new site launched to teach medical and mental health care providers how to reduce the risk of firearm injury in their patients. [The Bullet Points Project]

• Video: On Chicago’s South Side, an organization called CRED is working to prevent gang violence, through outreach, therapy and job development. [NBC News]

Solution of the week

• The Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods hopes to build on the success of the Focused Deterrence program previously proven in cities including Philadelphia. [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Finding help in Philadelphia:

• The Philly Gun Violence Resource List was compiled by WHYY’s Billy Penn and has been released for public use by other media organizations or anyone else. [Google Docs]

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