Shootings spiked during the pandemic. The spike now looks like a 'new normal'
SEATTLE — When the U.S. homicide rate jumped nearly 30% in 2020, experts hoped it was a temporary blip — a fleeting symptom of pandemic pressures and civil unrest.
"I lost a couple of people around that time, due to gun violence," says LaMaria Pope, who works for a youth outreach program in the Seattle area called "Choose 180."
Three summers later, she says that violence persists, and young people are more likely to be armed with a gun.
"Sixteen, and 17, 18 and up — they only feel safe if they have one. It's becoming a jacket — they can't leave the house without one," she says.
Hopes for a rapid decline in the pandemic murder spike are fading. National statistics for 2022 aren't yet available, but you can get a sneak peak from compiled by data analyst Jeff Asher. The total count in those. And in 40% of the cities listed, homicides are trending higher.
