Gun Violence Surges Past 2020 Totals In King County

Renton WA

13 October, 2021

9:38 PM

Description

KING COUNTY, WA — It took just nine months for gun violence in King County to surge beyond the highs of last year, with more deadly shootings, injuries and shots fired incidents reported through September than in all of 2020, according to a new report. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has tracked gun violence trends and released quarterly reports since 2017, as part of an effort to streamline and contextualize information coming from more than 20 different law enforcement agencies. Back in July, the prosecutor's office noted that shootings in the first half of 2021 were already outpacing last year, which itself was higher than the previous three years. The situation only worsened through September, the latest report found. (King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office) The prosecutor's office said eight King County law enforcement agencies continue to field the majority of shooting calls: Seattle, Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Tukwila and the King County Sheriff's Office. Among the more than 1,000 shots fired calls through September, about 61 percent originated outside Seattle. The figures do not include self-inflicted wounds, suicides, or shootings at the hands of police. (King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office) In the first three quarters of this year, shootings claimed the lives of 73 people and left another 283 victims injured, the prosecutor's report found. The victims most often were young men of color. (King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office) This week's report arrived as local groups called on King County to invest more money in communities most affected by the violence. Earlier this year, the county unveiled the Regional Peacekeepers Collective, allotting $2 million dollars for programs to help stop the cycle of violence. In a meeting Tuesday, at the site of a shooting that rattled a youth football game in Seattle's Central District last month, one group called on the county to invest at least $10 million in the effort. During a news conference hosted by the prosecutor's office Wednesday, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay — whose district includes South Seattle and Skyway — echoed the need for more support at all levels of government, including state and federal leaders, to ensure stable housing, quality jobs and mental health services in underserved communities, whose residents have also suffered disproportionate economic, health and mental impacts during the pandemic.