Washington, D.C. – A new report from the Center for American Progress finds that in Wisconsin, the percentage of gun violence homicides plummeted by 16.6% in the first eight months of 2024 compared to 2023. The report shows that in the 300 most populated U.S. cities, year-to-date (YTD) gun violence homicides are down 14.8% compared to 2023.
Other key findings from this new analysis include:
- Wisconsin is experiencing the 16th largest decline in YTD population-adjusted gun homicides of all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2024.
- Across the U.S., 2024 saw the smallest “summer surge” in gun violence victimization rates since 2018.
- Between May 2024 and August 2024, gun violence victimization rates rose by 25% nationally compared to January 2024 through April 2024. In the previous six years, gun violence victimization rates rose 41% on average between May and August compared to January through April.
Despite the encouraging evidence that violent crime and gun violence were going down at historic rates, traditionally, gun homicides peak in the warmer months, leading crime data experts to closely track gun violence through the 2024 summer to determine if it would disrupt the overall positive trend. While the rate of gun violence victimizations and homicides did go up during the warmer months in 2024, overall, victimization rates in major U.S. cities are still down compared with 2023.
These findings add to the chorus of studies showing most American communities are becoming safer in the wake of the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and also because of greater federal, state, and local investments being made in violence prevention strategies and new gun laws and accountability measures implemented under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
“While a nearly 17% decline in gun homicides is promising, it’s essential we continue building on these positive trends by investing in proven violence prevention strategies across Wisconsin,” said Nick Matuszewski, Director of Policy & Program at WAVE Educational Fund. “This report highlights the importance of both community-based intervention and comprehensive policy solutions to create safer neighborhoods and reduce gun violence long term.”
“No matter how you look at it, all evidence–from all sources–is pointing to 2024 matching the historic progress in 2023 to make American communities safer,” said Chandler Hall, associate director for Gun Violence Prevention at CAP. “Not only are crime trends going down overall, but this analysis also provides hope that even the spikes in violent crime and gun violence are becoming less severe.”
Read the report: “2024 Sees Smallest Summer Surge in Gun Violence Rates in 6 Years” by Chandler Hall
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Jasmine Razeghi at jrazeghi@americanprogress.org or Nick Matuszewski at nm@waveedfund.org.
