Weekend of Gun Violence in D.C. Highlights Needs for Continued Investment in Gun Violence Prevention

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots network, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statement following multiple instances of gun violence across the District of Columbia this weekend. This included the fatal shooting of 3-year-old, Ty'ah Settles, who, according to police data, was the District's 58th homicide victim this year, and the youngest. On Friday, Settles was shot and killed by a stray bullet in a car that got caught in crossfire. This tragedy came just hours after a student at Northwest Washington's Dunbar High School was grazed in the head by a stray bullet in a shooting that flew through a school window. Early Monday morning, one person was shot and killed and two others wounded in shootings across the District and neighboring Prince Georges' County.

"These instances of gun violence are more tragic examples of how Black and brown children continue to be disproportionately impacted by the daily toll of gun violence, and our hearts are with those impacted by these shootings, especially the loved ones of Ty'ah," said Constance Freeman, a Co-Chapter Lead with the D.C. chapter of Moms Demand Action and survivor of gun violence, who also has a child who attends and was at Dunbar during the shooting. "Members of our community deserve to be able to go to school, drive through neighborhoods, and feel safe, without the constant fear of gun violence. While crime is down overall in Washington D.C., we continue to fight for continued investment from our leaders in intervention programing to create a future safe for all in our city - most importantly, the most vulnerable"

"This is the reality of being a young person in America. We can't go to school, ride in the car, or simply go about our daily lives without facing the deadly consequences of gun violence," said Jayden Speed, a member of the Students Demand Action National Organizing Board and student at George Washington University. "Nothing about these tragedies is normal. A 3-year-old's life has been stolen from them because of a crisis that's entirely preventable. Young people deserve to grow up, to graduate high school, to go to college and to fulfill their dreams. That's why we'll keep fighting for the safety of our communities and the generations to come to live free from gun violence."

Washington, D.C. lawmakers need to continue investing in gun violence prevention. In March, D.C. lawmakers passed an omnibus bill last month to address crime. Earlier this year, Councilmember White also introduced a measure to combat gun violence in Washington, D.C. by requiring healthcare providers including doctors, nurses and physician assistants, to receive training on a range of issues related to gun violence prevention.

Another critical part of addressing gun violence is through partnership with and sustained support for community violence intervention (CVI) programs. D.C.'s lawmakers need to continue to prioritize robust support for D.C.'s growing network of violence interrupters, giving them the resources they need to prevent cycles of gun violence. As D.C. continues to sustain its CVI ecosystem, crime in D.C. has significantly dropped.

While there is no one solution to end gun violence, community violence intervention programs play a key role in making cities safer. By utilizing a public health model, community-led programs have been shown to reduce gun violence in some of the most heavily impacted neighborhoods.

In an average year, 155 people die by guns in the District of Columbia and another 885 are wounded. 92% of gun deaths in the District of Columbia are by firearm homicide. Gun violence costs the District of Columbia $2.0 billion each year, of which $106.4 million is paid by taxpayers. More information about firearm deaths in the District of Columbia can be found here.