Weekly Brief

Grim milestones: More than 200 people have been shot this month in Philadelphia, more than 1,000 shooting victims have been reported so far this year and city data now show more than 10,000 people wounded or killed by gunfire since January 1, 2015. Read More

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced last week that the city will dedicate more than $150 million this year to reduce violence. Philly anti-violence activists are hopeful about new funding for prevention efforts. Read More

The first production from the Credible Messenger Reporting Project focuses on three co-victims of gun violence who worked together to show the long-lasting effects it can have on friends, family and community members. Read More

Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg are pushing to make it easier for Pennsylvanians to carry a handgun. This could get complicated in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, a bill advancing extreme risk protection orders has been stalled. Read More

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: DR. JESSICA H. BEARD NAMED STONELEIGH FELLOW AND CENTER’S DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH Read More

A new study says that Pennsylvania ranks seventh among states with the highest homicides rate among Black residents. Data analysis estimates the annual cost of crime in Philadelphia at more that $5.5 billion — or nearly $3,500 per resident. Residents of the Philadelphia neighborhoods suffering the most gun violence voted last week to re-elect District Attorney Larry Krasner. Resolving conflicts through restorative healing circles could reduce 911 calls and police presence in our neighborhoods. Read More

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. Community groups pivoted to address gun violence in Philadelphia as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Read More

Since 2015, the share of Philadelphia shooting victims who are women has grown by about half. So far this year, 83 women have been shot, and 66 of these women are Black Read More

Last month Philadelphia saw five days with 10 or more shooting victims and six days with two or less. At least one person was shot every day and only nine days passed without any fatalities, including one three-day span. Read More

The rate of nonfatal shootings increased more sharply in Philadelphia during the first three months of this year than in any of the other U.S. cities with populations greater than one million, when compared to the same period last year. Read More

Should we expect community gun violence to spike following outbreaks of social unrest? Last year, shootings in Philadelphia increased after George Floyd was killed on May 25 and then 40 people were shot in the three days following the outbreak of protest violence on May 30. On average, six people were shot in the city each day during 2020. Read More

Philadelphia weekly shooting victims jumped back up to 48 during the 7-day period ending Sunday, the second-highest weekly total recorded so far this year. Year-to-date shooting victims in the city are now running 38.7% ahead of last year’s pace. Read More