Latest Philadelphia data
• Philadelphia recorded the 400th homicide of 2020 yesterday, after recently surpassing the 12-month total of 391 people killed during all 365 days of 2007. [Philadelphia Police]
Man killed by police
Police officers fatally shot a man Monday in West Philadelphia. Open city data indicates that Philadelphia Police shot eight people in separate incidents earlier this year but also shows a significant decline in what are categorized as “officer involved” shootings in recent years. [The Philadelphia Inquirer/PCGVR]
Smallest victims
• A three-year-old was shot in southwest Philadelphia Friday night. He was the 10th child under age 10 wounded or killed by gunfire in the city so far this year. [6ABC/PCGVR]
Stark reminders
• Funeral directors paraded through Philadelphia Sunday to bring attention to gun violence, drug addiction and the COVID-19 pandemic. They did the same in 2007, the last time the city’s homicide rate was nearly this high. [6ABC/Philadelphia Daily News]
Collaboration
• The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has announced joining the Pennsylvania Safety Alliance, a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals committed to strengthening gun safety policies. [PHL DAO]
Across the Delaware
• The New York Times checked in on Trenton, NJ, where homicides have more than doubled this year. [NYT]
If elected
• Kamala Harris promises $900 million for evidence-based gun violence prevention interventions in cities with high homicide rates. [Philly Mag]
New teach-out
• Take a free online course and learn about the life-saving impact of extreme Risk Protection Orders. [Coursera]
Brandishing traumatizes
• Every day 1,100 people survive a confrontation involving a gun without getting shot but still experience trauma that requires support and intervention. [Center for American Progress]
Intervention and research
• Columbus, Ohio is implementing the Group Violence Intervention initiative. [The Columbus Dispatch]
• A Connecticut researcher will be looking into how social media conflict contributes to youth firearm violence. [UConn]
In the news
• The Trace interviewed PCGVR director Jim MacMillan, who also advises the Missouri Gun Violence Project through which reporters are looking at the problem and possible solutions across the state. [The Trace/Kansas City Star]
Solution of the week
• Doctors in New York State are working to create a universal screening tool that would identify those at risk of firearms injury. [University of Toronto]
Veterans left out
• A new set of measures intended to prevent veteran suicides has been signed into law but only after omitting a provision would have trained VA healthcare workers to talk with suicidal patients about the dangers of having easy access to guns. The Senate removed the provision from the bill. [Stars and Stripes/New York Times]
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]