Research shows that where alcohol businesses cluster, violence follows. Many perpetrators and victims of shootings have alcohol in their systems, and it’s a contributing factor in more shootings than many people realize.
Trace contributor Ted Alcorn reports how, in Baltimore, residents, researchers, and some policymakers have pushed more ambitious measures to curb alcohol sales than any other American city, particularly in neighborhoods with high rates of violence. The efforts have made allies of public health officials and the police, who don’t always see eye to eye. But they’ve also sparked intense opposition from businesses that sell alcohol, and the city’s leadership appears reluctant to make them a strategic priority. For now, despite decades of examination and grassroots advocacy, the practical impact has fallen short of the vision.
“If we could get all the laws that we have around alcohol outlets enforced, it would be transformative,” said epidemiologist Dr. Debra Furr-Holden. “The problem is, it’s gums without teeth.”
Nonetheless, other cities should take note of the opportunity, said leading firearm policy expert Daniel Webster. “The alcohol policy and gun policy worlds have been too siloed.”
From The Trace
- To Battle the Bullet, Baltimore Goes After the Bottle: Alcohol is an overlooked factor in many shootings. Baltimore has tried harder than any other American city to disrupt the link.
- An Illinois City Funded Violence Prevention — Then Scuttled Its First Major Program: A nascent effort in Peoria received federal funds through city government, but struggled to grow. The city cancelled its contract in only seven months.
- Philadelphia Shootings Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels: For two years in a row, gun violence in Philadelphia claimed more than 500 lives. Now, homicides are down more than 45 percent, and total shootings have dropped more than 35 percent.
What to Know Today
Three years ago, Washington state lawmakers created a state-funded office meant to provide an extra layer of accountability for deadly police violence. But the Office of Independent Investigations has been criticized for its slow pace in opening probes, its focus on hiring investigators from within the world of law enforcement, and its failure to even begin monitoring uses of force since the law was passed. Three of the five cases under the office’s review involve the deaths of Native Americans — including Stonechild Chiefstick, who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2019. [InvestigateWest]
In Hamilton County, Tennessee, a 13-year-old with autism was arrested at Ooltewah Middle School for suspicion of containing an explosive device in his backpack on the second day of school. The only thing found inside of his backpack was a stuffed animal — a purple bunny that he uses as a comfort toy. [ProPublica]
Law enforcement officials in three Washington, D.C.-area regions seized more than 140 firearms earlier this month. Many of the confiscated firearms were ghost guns. [The Washington Post]
American guns are linked to violence across the globe — and in the Caribbean, the problem is especially acute. Regional officials say the issue is worsening: They blame a flow of firearms smuggled from the U.S. for an increase or a record number of killings in a growing number of islands this year. [Associated Press]
Workers at a Chicago storefront of Insomnia Cookies walked off the job in response to the company’s handling of a shooting, in which a man was shot near the store and ran inside for shelter. The outlet’s operating manager said the bakery chain fired her for closing the store after the shooting. [Block Club Chicago]
A rideshare app that features the option of armed drivers with a background in law enforcement or the military will debut in three Texas cities — Austin, Dallas, and Houston — as soon as early next year. BlackWolf, a Black-owned company famous on TikTok, already offers services in Atlanta, Phoenix, Miami, and Orlando, Florida. [Chron]
Via The Weekly Briefing newsletter: As in many big cities, gun violence in Baltimore is trending downward — and the decline in one neighborhood is particularly notable. In 2023, the city’s Brooklyn community was disrupted by a mass shooting at a block party that left two people dead and nearly 30 others injured. The area has now marked a full year without a single homicide. [Associated Press]
Victoria Clark contributed to this section.
Data Point
About 24 percent — the reduction in homicides across Baltimore this year, compared to the same time in 2023. [Associated Press]
Non Sequitur
The Surprising Social Lives of Pythons
“Ball pythons were long assumed to be solitary, but scientists discovered the snakes in captivity prefer each others’ company when given the chance to live socially.” [The New York Times]
