Philadelphia gun violence and prevention report: May 19, 2021

Above: The murder rate has increased more significantly in Philadelphia during the first four months of this year than in the largest U.S. cities, when compared to the same period last year. [AmericanViolence.org]
Above: The murder rate has increased more significantly in Philadelphia during the first four months of this year than in the largest U.S. cities, when compared to the same period last year. [AmericanViolence.org]

Survey results

• Americans rank gun violence as a “very big problem” more often than the pandemic, unemployment or domestic or international terrorism. [Pew Research Center]

Solutions over blame

• Community groups pivoted to address gun violence in Philadelphia as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. [Generocity]

Here’s what you can do

• The City of Philadelphia has a guide to help you find ways to address violence in your community and raise awareness about available services. Parents should also learn how to talk to other parents about guns. [Office of Violence Prevention/lifehacker]

Latest Philadelphia shooting data

• Police reported 43 people shot in Philadelphia during the seven-day period ending Sunday but also revised the previous week’s total up from 36 to 45 victims. Weekend shooting victims included two people killed and 19 more wounded between Friday evening and late Sunday. [Philadelphia Police Google Drive/Open Data Philly]

Victims of homicide

• As of late Tuesday, police had recorded 198 total homicides so far this year in Philadelphia, running 40 percent ahead of the pace set in 2020. In 2015, 84 people had been killed by the same date. [PhillyPolice.com]

• Police have released the names of 45 people murdered in Philadelphia during April. [Philadelphia Obituary Project]

Bi-weekly briefing

• Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said domestic violence homicides were up 138% this year, compared to the same time last year. Azucena Ugart from the city’s Office of Domestic Violence Strategies shared resources for victims. [Thread:@Billy_Penn/YouTube]

Mass shootings in Philadelphia

• Shootings with four or more victims are up sharply this year in Philadelphia. Four people were struck during incidents reported last Wednesday and Friday. [The Philadelphia Inquirer/6ABC/6ABC]

Only in America

• Most children shot by police are minorities and less likely to be armed than adults shot by police. [The Washington Post]

• Mass shooting insurance is in high demand in the U.S. right now. [Reuters]

On reporting

• Few media outlets offered context on domestic violence following the recent Colorado mass shooting. [mediamatters.org]

Research

• Access to mental health care may help prevent mass shootings in a minority of cases but this is far from the only solution. [American Psychological Association]

New resource

• The Off-Ramp Project is hub of information, training, and resources for anyone impacted by a mass shooting or interested in preventing the next one. [off-ramp.org]

By the numbers

• Licensed U.S. firearms manufacturers produced seven million pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns and other similar weapons in 2019. [USA Facts]

Looking ahead

• Criminologists warn that last year’s spike in gun violence may persist even as coronavirus cases recede. [New York Times]

Solution of the Week

• The Mississippi Gun Storage Map is intended to make it easier for people to safely store firearms outside of their homes and potentially reduce gun-related deaths and theft. [Mississippi Gun Storage Map/The University of Southern Mississippi]

In memoriam

• The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to create a national memorial in remembrance of the 49 people killed and 58 wounded at the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016. The victims were primarily LGBTQ and Latinx. [Human Rights Campaign]