King County Sees Gun Violence Grow In 2021

Seattle WA

22 July, 2021

7:47 PM

Description

KING COUNTY, WA — The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office on Thursday released its quarterly "shots fired" report, finding a sustained increase in gun violence through the first half of 2021. The prosecutor's office launched the project in 2017, collecting information from 39 King County law enforcement agencies to better understand community trends and support work to reduce gun violence using a public health approach. "We are in a public health crisis, we are in a public safety crisis in those communities where gun violence is highly concentrated," said Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney. "We collect this data with the understanding that we can share it with not just law enforcement but with the community at large and also with people who are interested in working with young people who are at risk of being involved in gun violence. This data helps us think about how to best direct investments into affect communities." (King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office) According to the data released by Satterberg's office, the number of people killed in shootings was 48 percent higher in the first half of 2021 than the average for the same timeframe between 2017 and 2020. The number of shooting victims with non-fatal injuries grew by 65 percent. The tallies do not include suicides or people shot by law enforcement, and officials said young men and communities of color were disproportionately the victims of gun violence. (King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office)The report also found roughly 59 percent of the shootings were in jurisdictions outside of Seattle. "This increase is not unique to King County," the prosecutor's office wrote Thursday. "Nearly every major city, and many rural areas, have seen an increase in firearm violence since the start of 2020." According to the prosecutor's office, 25 murder cases have been filed in King County this year, including 14 deadly shootings, seven stabbings, three beatings and one arson. Seven of the cases filed involved domestic violence. The 39 law enforcement agencies recorded 79 "homicide or potential homicide" incidents through July 20, which includes all types of violence where the victims suffer life-threatening injuries. In 2020, there were 146 such call-outs, and in 2019 there were 90, officials said. (King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office) On the same day of the report's release, the city of Seattle announced a $2 million investment in King County's Regional Peacekeepers Collective pilot program, meant to work across jurisdictions to address the root causes of gun violence. "We know that violence is the result of many failed systems and societal disparities," said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. "And because, in many instances, the government for decades shirked responsibility, we are called on at this moment to invest in resources to right the wrongs created by those failed systems. There is no magic wand that will erase violence from the community; however, we know we need a range of solutions as with most complex regional issues." The two-year, $2 million investment in the Regional Peacekeepers Collective will help fund family support specialists, youth and family services, case management and training, the mayor's office said. Young people are referred to the program through Harborview, the prosecutor's office, outreach workers, and community organizations like Choose 180 and Community Passageways. "We are employing strategies focused on targeted, trauma-informed care, and interrupting cycles of violence can produce life-saving and cost-efficient results in a short period without contributing to mass incarceration," said Derrick Wheeler-Smith, director of Zero Youth Detention. "As we treat the disease of violence, we want to make sure these Violence Interrupters have the best tools, education and resources as we get the vaccine out into the community."