Latest data
• Police reported 61 shooting victims in Philadelphia during the seven-day period ending Sunday; up from 43 recoded during each of the previous two weeks. Last year, 113 people were shot during the entire month of January in Philadelphia. The average January shooting victim total from 2005 through 2019 was 88. Police reported 37 total homicides this year through Monday night, slightly ahead of last year’s pace. [Philadelphia Police via Google Drive/data.phila.gov/PhillyPolice.com]
Child killed
• The child’s father is facing charges following the unintentional fatal shooting of nine-year-old girl last week in North Philadelphia. The child — identified as Butterlfy by a friend of the family — was the 50th shooting victim under age 10 recorded in Philadelphia since the beginning of 2015, including 14 who have died. Safe gun storage prevents unintentional shootings and people in Philadelphia are invited to get a free gun lock.[Associated Press/Open Data Philly/Temple Safety Net]
Opinion
• It’s time to treat gun violence like the public health emergency it is. [The Philadelphia Inquirer]
Lives taken
• Check the names of 46 people killed in Philadelphia during December, get self-care advice from a bereaved mother and read about a nurse who was caring for COVID patients until she was shot and killed. [Philadelphia Obituary Project]
Not in the news
• A Penn emergency doctor says her gun violence patients aren’t making the news. As we have previously shared, half of all Philadelphia shooting victims can go uncovered. [@UtshaKhatriMD/ScienceDirect]
Reporting solutions
• Part three of G-Town Radio’s gun violence solutions program will air Thursday from 5-6pm EDT and you can listen online. [@GermantownHub]
Scoop-and-run
• Philadelphia shooting victims are twice as likely to arrive at hospitals in police cars than ambulances. The study was based on 3,313 patients transported to trauma centers from January 2014 to December 2018. [Penn Medicine News/The Philadelphia Inquirer/JAMA Network]
Guns gone
• A community leader shared a photo of guns turned in last week in Philadelphia. Some challenged the efficacy of buybacks while others appreciated the effort. [@BilalQayyumq/@TheScottCharles]
Troubling patters
• Since 2015, police officers have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed Black men and women nationwide. [NPR]
Solution of the Week
• Sections of the Durham, NC, served by violence interrupters have seen a 1.78% decrease in gun-related crimes since 2013, compared to a citywide increase of 16.49% over the same time period. [The News & Observer]
Journalists wanted
• At present we have more community members signed up for the Credible Messenger Reporting Project than we can match with professional journalism partners. Stipends are available. [PCGVR]