Last month U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence to be a public health crisis in America. Since 2020, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, and 54% of U.S. adults report that either they or a family member have experienced a firearm-related incident.
In 2023, shots-fired incidents in King County were up 46% over the five-year average, and the number of shooting victims was up 40%. Over half of firearm victims in 2023 were Black men and boys, despite the Black population making up only 7.2% of the population.
In response to this gun violence crisis, King County Executive Dow Constantine launched 100 Days of Action against gun violence on July 11 in partnership with the City of Seattle and community-based organizations.
“Gun violence is a public health crisis that demands urgent action,” said Constantine. “This 100-day, intensive initiative to confront gun violence will expand vital community resources and intervention programs to pave the way for lasting change.”
