Philadelphia gun violence and prevention report: May 26, 2021

Mapped above: Red indicators represent 159 fatal shooting victims recorded through May 24 of this year in Philadelphia. An additional 16 victims are not shown due to missing locations. [Office of the Controller]

Reporting on solutions

• A newsroom-wide effort from The Philadelphia Inquirer called “Under Fire” will report on the city’s gun-violence epidemic and examine evidence-based responses to the crisis. [The Lenfest Institute for Journalism]

• Broke in Philly launched “The Toll: The Roots and Costs of Gun Violence in Philadelphia,” a solutions-focused series on gun violence that runs through 2021. [@BrokeinPhilly]

• The final episode of the Philly Under Fire podcast introduced mothers working to solve their own children’s murders. [The Philadelphia Citizen]

Community voices

• Mothers in Charge delivered services to about 450 Philadelphia families affected by gun violence in 2020. Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight is the national executive director. [The Philadelphia Tribune/@CJACTIONFUND]

• Community members and lawmakers rallied outside of a school last week in response to the recent gun violence in Southwest Philadelphia. [WHYY]

• West Philadelphia residents came out for a rally to share their thoughts on how to stop gun violence. [The Philadelphia Sunday Sun]

• A mother bereaved by gun violence asks why families have to put their own safety at risk by asking questions about what happened to their loved ones. [Philadelphia Obituary Project]

Join the conversation

• Online Friday evening: Explore how trust, consistency, and independence can be leveraged to promote and provide public safety. [WHYY]

• Shifting The Narrative: Delivering Truth Without Injury – We don’t know much about this event tonight but heard that a couple of out favorite people are participating. Their first event was spectacular. [Facebook/Facebook]

By the numbers

• Police are reporting 40 people shot in Philadelphia during the seven-day period ending Sunday and revised the previous week’s total up from 43 to 45 shooting victims. Over the weekend, 19 people were shot. [Philadelphia Police via Google Drive/Open Data Philly via @PCGVR]

• Police recorded 206 homicides so far this year in Philadelphia as of late Monday night. This is the second time ever that 200 murders were recorded in the city prior to the month of June.[PhillyPolice.com/@PhillyHomicides]

• There were at least 12 mass shootings across the US this weekend. Fourteen people were shot in an incident in Cumberland County, NJ.[CNN/NBC10]

• A new study says that Pennsylvania ranks seventh among states with the highest homicides rate among Black residents. [Pennsylvania Capital-Star]

• Data analysis estimates the annual cost of crime in Philadelphia at more that $5.5 billion — or nearly $3,500 per resident. [moneygeek]

On the map

• Residents of the Philadelphia neighborhoods suffering the most gun violence voted last week to re-elect District Attorney Larry Krasner. [NBC10 via YouTube]

• Housing pressures and gun violence go hand-in-hand. The Missouri Gun Violence Project mapped it out. [The Kansas City Star]

Tracking the guns

• Of nearly 1.2 million guns recovered at crime scenes between 2015 and 2019, more than 300,000 crossed state lines since their purchase. [Everytown Research]

• Police in Baltimore say that nearly of a quarter of ghost guns they have recovered have been found in the hands people too young to buy a weapon. [FOX Baltimore]

Buybacks challenged

• Research shows that gun buybacks don’t directly prevent violence but local leaders think they can still help with community engagement. [NBC10]

City briefing today

• The next virtual update on gun violence in Philadelphia is scheduled to take place today at 1 p.m. You can listen live on WURD Radio (900 AM / 96.1 FM) or watch live online. [Facebook]

Opinion

• Two Philadelphia City Council members say we need to see “targeted use of proven interventions to stop gun violence” in our most distressed neighborhoods. [AL DÍA NEWS]

Research

• Sixty-one percent of mass shooters had been involved with the justice system for domestic violence. Implementation of domestic violence firearm restrictions may prevent access to firearms for some potential mass shooters. [Criminology and Public Policy]

Popular demand

• A recent poll found that 69 percent of Americans, including most Republicans and gun owners, support a gun licensing system. [Vox]

Solution of the Week

• Resolving conflicts through restorative healing circles could reduce 911 calls and police presence in our neighborhoods. [Grid Magazine]

In memoriam

• Dyewou Scruggs, 20, a social media comedian who always made his presence know. [Philadelphia Obituary Project]

Subscribe for free

• We’ve got some big announcements coming up. Sign up for our free email newsletter now. [IBGVR]