Understanding the Crisis of Urban Gun Violence

Abstract

There is a place for a statistical portrait of urban gun violence, particularly when deconstructing how it is manifested at a neighborhood or community level, and this chapter provides it. This portrait provides the backdrop or canvas on which to better place and understand the stories associated with gun violence. Numerous publications provide a statistical portrait of gun violence to further pursue if interested. This chapter highlights key aspects from national and urban perspectives, including subjects that must be a part of any urban gun violence strategy, setting the stage for the introduction of key constructs in the following chapter that influence urban practice, research, and scholarship. This chapter’s statistical portrait is one dimensional but critical in shaping the argument about the saliency of gun violence in the communities served. This picture can best be conceptualized as a backdrop to the social, economic, political, and cultural perspectives, allowing for a more in-depth appreciation for the challenge ahead for those embracing this social justice mission. The narratives embraced to bring this subject to light can use statistics as a backdrop.