Philadelphia has seen a decline in gun violence citywide, with shootings returning to prepandemic levels. Despite the drop, there’s been a rise in gun violence among teens.
As The Trace’s Mensah M. Dean recently reported, 26 juveniles were charged in homicides in 2024, nearly a nine-fold increase from the previous year. Nonfatal shootings also rose among that group. Officials believe exposure to violent media portrayals, coupled with the idleness and disconnection experienced during the pandemic, is driving the increase.
Though it’s hard to pinpoint the cause of these new trends, The Trace’s Afea Tucker sought to understand how the uptick has affected Philly teens themselves. She spoke with four Gen-Zers who are participants in a program run by Imani Star Development, an organization that provides a safe place in West Philadelphia for young people to express themselves.They pointed to the influence of neighborhood gangs, and an adolescent desire for acceptance and community.
“There are several factors: the environment, schools, social media, and a lack of role models,” said Ma’isah Young, a participant of the Imani Star Development program. “Younger people want to seem cool and they’re trying to fit in. Social media definitely does play a big role, and also music. The destructive music that they’re pushing to be in our environment, basically the goal is for us to deteriorate.”
Read more on their thoughts here.
From The Trace
An Expert Guide to the Cook County Court System: Chicago shooting survivors and advocates share tips for navigating the judicial process.
What to Know Today
In court on May 1, Stacey Wales brought her deceased brother to life with a victim impact statement created by AI-generated video. In the video, Christopher Pelkey, who was fatally shot in a road-rage incident in 2021, told the killer he believes in forgiveness. [Washington Post]
Jeffrey Rupnow, the father of the Abundant Christian Life school shooter, is facing felony charges for the shooting. The criminal complaint explains how Rupnow used guns to bond with his daughter while she planned the attack. He’s been charged with intentionally giving a dangerous weapon to a person under 18, causing death, and contributing to the delinquency of a child. [New York Post]
A group of House and Senate representatives sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, asking them to hinder the flow of American-made guns at the border by leveraging the recent designation of Latin American cartel gangs as terrorist organizations. The designation could disrupt financial networks and impose harsher penalties through additional legal tools. [CBS News]
In Pasco, Washington, Franklin County commissioners stripped Sheriff Jim Raymond of overseeing jail and courthouse security, claiming negligence. The next day, Raymond seized 48 guns from jail officers, despite a court order forbidding him from such action. On May 8, Walla Walla Superior Court Judge Brandon Johnson ordered that the guns be returned, citing safety concerns. [Tri-City Herald]
On Thursday, a bill that would allow certain officials to carry a gun at polling places as a means for protection advanced to the Senate. [Texas Tribune]
Data Point
39 percent — the decline in the recovery of ghost guns in San Diego since a crackdown began in 2020 [CBS8]
Non-Sequitur
Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College AI is making it easier for college students to cheat to the graduation stage, but what are the long term effects? [New York Magazine]
