Tracking gun violence in Philadelphia: March 3, 2021

During February, 114 people were shot in Philadelphia, the lowest monthly total recorded since the onset of the pandemic.

Latest Philadelphia data

• With 114 people shot in Philadelphia during February, the city reached the lowest monthly victim total recorded since 90 people were shot in February, 2020. An average of 77 people were shot in February during the previous five years. [data.phila.gov]

• As of late Monday night, police reported 77 total homicides this year-to-date in Philadelphia, a 24 percent increase over last year’s pace. [PhillyPolice.com]

• January and February open data indicate that 300 year-to-date total shooting victims are running 39.5 percent ahead of last year’s pace in Philadelphia but fatal shootings are down 3.6 percent with 54 deaths. [Open Data Philly]

• You can also analyze the city’s official Shooting Victims data set using our dashboard. One user recently spotted a sharp increase in the number of children and teens shot so far this year. [PCGVR/@GaleMorrisonEd]

Public updates

• Philadelphia Mayor Kenney promised to begin providing more regular public updates on gun violence during a press conference last week at the scene of the recent mass shooting in Olney. Representatives from Mothers in Charge were among the participants. [WHYY/@NBC10_Stephania]

• Activist Jamal Johnson is not satisfied with the mayor’s action to date and has resumed his hunger strike. [Billy Penn]

Victims services

• Gaps in support systems sometimes leave families to clean up crime scenes on their own. [WHYY]

• Profiles of homicide victims published by the Philadelphia Obituary Project now link to a page listing resources for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. [phillyobitproject.com]

Buybacks

• Last weekend’s buyback events netted another 156 guns in two hours. Recent research says buybacks can help if they’re part of a broader effort to prevent gun violence. [@BilalQayyumq/NBCPhiladelphia]

Opinion

• Our city must make a real change to address the crisis of disinvestment now, and it starts with listening to the wisdom of the people who live here. [WHYY]

Scoop and run

• NBC10 recently re-shared a series of video reports on the practice of police rushing gunshot patients to hospitals in Philadelphia. The series was produced in 2018 in partnership with The Trace. [nbcphiladelphia.com]

Advocacy

• Webinar today: Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Dwight Evans and State Representative Joanna McClinton discuss the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act, intended to help people get the medical, legal, financial and other help they need. [Zoom]

• CeaseFire PA is coordinating a statewide virtual lobby day on March 23 to demand that legislators enact common sense gun safety policies. [CeaseFirePA]

• Pennsylvania got a C+ in this year’s gun laws scorecard, recently released by Giffords gun violence prevention organization. [Giffords Law Center]

Big picture

• Dozens of member of Congress signed a letter last week calling on President Biden to appoint a national director of gun violence prevention. [Axios]

Research

• Black communities face higher gun homicides due to institutional racism, underinvestment in communities and housing segregation. [Penn Today]

• Undue emphasis on mental illness related to mass shootings can lead to public fear and stigmatization. [Columbia University Department of Psychiatry]

Solution of the Week

• Pay violence interruption workers a living wage. [The Trace]

You can make a difference

• The Center for Gun Violence Reporting is the signature project of The Initiative for Gun Violence Reporting, which also organizes events and supports research. We have good reason to believe this work makes a difference. You can help us do more. [WeDidIt]