Earlier this week, a spate of shootings in Seattle left three people dead and five more wounded in less than 48 hours. These shootings are a reminder of the persistent gun violence that continues to impact the greater area of Seattle amid the coronavirus pandemic. And according to research, the pandemic has exacerbated existing circumstances that contribute to America’s alarming rates of gun violence, particularly in Black and Latino communities in cities across the United States.
As your newsroom continues to cover gun violence during the pandemic, below is information about gun violence in Washington and the U.S.:
- As a whole, gun violence takes a disproportionate toll on Black and Latino communities in the United States, due to systemic inequities and deliberate policy decisions that create segregated neighborhoods and drive income inequality in Black and Latino communities. Black Americans represent the majority of homicide and nonfatal shooting victims in the U.S. and are far more likely than white Americans to be victimized by and exposed to assaultive gun violence.
- On average, more than 750 Washingtonians die by guns each year, including 175 people who are killed in gun homicides. Between 2014 and 2018, King County, where Seattle is located, had more than 820 gun deaths.
- In Washington, Black Americans are six times more likely to be the victims of gun homicides than their white peers, compared to 10 times nationwide.
More information on gun violence in Washington is available here, and information on how Washington’s gun laws compare to other states’ overall is available here.
To speak with a Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer about gun safety solutions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
