Firearm Violence Prevention in Peril: A Call to Defend Our Public Safety Infrastructure
Objective:
Firearm-related harm in the United States—including homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings—has shown meaningful signs of decline in recent years. Roughly 80% of homicides in the United States involve a firearm.1 In 2024 alone, the national homicide rate fell by more than 16%, marking one of the most significant single-year declines in recent history.2 This decline followed sustained public investment in violence prevention strategies, including community-based interventions, firearm policy changes, and coordinated public safety initiatives, alongside renewed federal investments in research and surveillance infrastructure.
Project Status:
Completed
Principal Investigators:
Daniel Semenza
Co-Investigators: Therese S. Richmond, Sonali Rajan, Marian E. Betz, Charles Branas, Shani A. L. Buggs, Stephen Hargarten, Joseph Richardson, Frederick P. Rivara, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Tanya L. Sharpe, Daniel W. Webster, and Jesenia M. Pizarro.