Latest Philadelphia data
• Police are reporting 33 shooting victims in Philadelphia during the seven-day period ending Sunday, including 21 people shot over the weekend who ranged in age from 15 to 63. [Philadelphia Police via Google Drive/Open Data Philly via @PCGVR]
• Police recorded 110 total homicides in Philadelphia as of late Monday night, running 28 percent ahead of last year’s pace. On the same date in 2013, the city had suffered 44 homicides. [PhillyPolice.com]
Situation Report
• Federal authorities arrested straw buyers smuggling guns into Philadelphia on Amtrak. [WHYY]
• The Not on My Watch Movement is promising a mass protest against gun violence Friday afternoon at Philadelphia City Hall. [@JAMAL_SKU]
• Police are monitoring social media in effort to prevent retaliatory shootings. [WHYY]
• The Trace compiled a thread with more gun violence news from Philadelphia. [@TeamTrace]
Gun Violence Briefings
• Philadelphia Mayor Kenney led the first Virtual Update on the City’s Gun Violence Response last week. Some of us think they can be better. [Facebook/The Philadelphia Inquirer/The Philadelphia Inquirer]
• Meet the North Philly-raised Marine veteran who helped make it happen. [Billy Penn]
Mass shootings
• Philadelphia suffered its fourth mass shooting of 2021 last week, while the national media focused on incidents with more fatalities in Georgia and Colorado. The US has suffered hundreds of mass shootings since the onset of the pandemic. [Gun Violence Archive/Vox/The New York Times/The Trace]
• Most mass shootings are preceded by violence at home. [Bloomberg]
Opinion
• Penn doctor, scholar and activist Eugenia South says we need to make intentional decisions to address the root causes of gun violence through policy changes and financial investment in Black people and Black neighborhoods. [The Washington Post]
Learning opportunities
• The PA Safety Alliance is holding two upcoming webinars on “permit to purchase” laws, favored by 73 percent of Pennsylvanians. [@safety_pa/Zoom]
• Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams discussed gun violence solutions in a Zoom session with UPenn Men of Color. [The Philadelphia Tribune]
Solution of the week
• Find some patience. Switching strategies before they have a chance can be the worst strategy of all. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
More ideas
• Black clergy group says Philadelphia needs a gun violence czar and has pledged to help raise $100 million. [The Philadelphia Tribune/KYW NewsRadio]
• City Council member Curtis Jones says Philadelphia needs a Marshall Plan for gun violence prevention. [The Philadelphia Citizen]
• If economic circumstances lie at the root of the problem, economics must be part of the solution as well. [The Kansas City Star]
• A new initiative wants the federal government to invest $5.3 billion in community-driven solutions to violence. [Fund Peace]
• The City of Baltimore launched a community survey with their new plan to address gun violence holistically. [Baltimore Fishbowl]
In memoriam
• A podcast called Schooled is telling the stories of three Philadelphia students shot killed over the past year. [WHYY]