As #NationalGunViolenceAwarenessMonth comes to a close, we need to raise awareness, but we must also deliver results. Through data-driven strategies, VRC-supported cities are outpacing national trends in reducing violence. Change is possible. Our communities are proving it.

RT @PROGRESSumd: The MD Department of Health’s Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention has launched two major tools to end….

Congratulations to @UMDCriminology professors Rod Brunson and Jean McGloin!.

Raising awareness this month helps bring attention to where and how this violence is occurring. Understanding the data is a first step toward identifying focused and informed responses. #GunViolenceAwareness #VRC.

This shift in youth mortality reflects a growing and concentrated issue. Firearm-related deaths among young people continue to rise, impacting families and communities across the country.

As we recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Month, it’s important to highlight a key trend: Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for youth in the U.S. ages 1 to 19. It has surpassed motor vehicle crashes, drug overdoses, and other accidents.

RT @Abt_Thomas: DC's approach to violence intervention needs to be completely revamped, but not discarded entirely. Also, while I understan….

RT @tweetelissa: Let's be real: Neither @ONSEDC_ nor @cure_dc follows evidence based practices of providing good housing, job, and mental….

RT @Abt_Thomas: Everyone who cares about public safety should read this op-ed. Thank you @ChiefPaulNoel for your leadership - this is the r….

RT @TheCrimAcademy: 🎙️ Episode 121 of TCA. We’re joined by Professor Rod Brunson (@UMDCriminology) to tackle the topic of #race and #polic….

RT @Abt_Thomas: Our thoughts are with @mayorpaulyoung and his family. No public official should have to endure this. Ironically, Mayor Youn….

RT @PROGRESSumd: Mayor Scott, MONSE & hospital partners marked Gun Violence Awareness Month with a resource fair & free gun lock event, wit….

So when evaluating a gun policy, don’t ask “Will this fix gun violence?” Instead, ask: “Which type is this targeting?” No single policy will fix everything, but each can be a step toward saving lives.

This explains why legislative debates tend to center around things like background checks and assault weapon bans, while efforts to address community violence focus more on policing strategies, intervention programs, and social supports.

There’s a key difference, though: in community violence, many guns used are already illegal. But in suicides, domestic violence, and mass shootings, the guns are often purchased legally.

That said, one common thread across all four: quick, easy access to guns makes each of them worse. Stricter firearm access policies, like permit-to-purchase laws, have been shown to reduce gun deaths across multiple categories.

These four types of gun violence are interconnected, but each has different causes and requires different responses. What works for one won’t necessarily work for the others. That’s why a one-size-fits-all solution won’t cut it.

Fourth: Community gun violence. Everyday street violence accounts for the majority of homicides each year, yet receives far too little attention, most likely because it disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. Source:

Third: Domestic gun violence. About 1 in 4 homicides each year involve intimate partners and/or family members, over half involving guns. Women in these situations face especially high risks. Source:

Second: Mass shootings. Though rare, they draw major media and public attention. They form less than 15% of U.S. mass killings and under 0.5% of all homicides. Still, these tragedies shape public perception and policy debates on gun violence. Source: