CGF | Gun Violence Outlook

Since the invention of guns in the 1300s, the scale of human conflict and violence has prevailingly escalated and shaped our world culture. In over 650 years guns have killed hundreds of millions around the world, directly contributing in over 111 major wars and innumerable acts of armed brutality. Even in our modern era, gun violence remains a pervasive scourge that the world collectively pays for daily with human lives and tax dollars. An unvarnished look at the data indicates that the problem is only getting worse, especially for those living in poverty, or within low income areas where instances of gun violence usually increase around 20% on average. The extent of the problem & the urgent need of expansive creative solutions for this epidemic should never be underemphasized, especially here in the USA where, on average:

We as individuals, communities, and nations need to answer crucial questions six centuries in the making. Where do incredibly lethal weapons fit into our societies? & most importantly how do we transition away from the nightmare of gun violence as it exists today (where there's a loss of life equivalent to 9/11 every month; approx 3k people), and move towards a future that doesn’t egregiously have our family and friends taken from us.

(Sources: Gun Violence Archive, CDC ) The available data serves as a stark illustration of how continuous the increase in Gun related incidents have been in America for the past 8 years. The recent spikes in the numbers from 2019 onwards depicts how the Covid-19 Pandemic exacerbated the problem even further. The final data point is 2021 YTD (Year to Date) which is on track to becoming another record setting year for gun violence in America if trends continue as they have recently. As of October 2021 there are 33,520 gun related deaths recorded at present, if we don’t approach the Gun Violence problem in America with the same tenacity that extinguishes almost 3,000 people every month, our welfare as a nation, and a civilization will continually be remunerated by the sacrifices of innocent individuals just like our brother Carey Gabay. We Can Do Better!

Map of gun related incidents in the greater New York area from 2014 - 2021

(Sources: The Gun Violence Archive, The Trace, CDC ) Since 2014 over 2,000 people have Died from gun violence & nearly 3,000 have died from suicide by firearm in the New York Metropolitan Area.