Regardless of near-weekly information stories of shootings in components of Seattle and King County, each have skilled important drops in homicides over the previous few years, in response to an analysis by The Seattle Times, knowledgeable with knowledge from the King County Prosecutor’s Workplace and the Seattle Police Division. Even with the unhappy headlines, the lower in deaths is encouraging.
Together with the decline in homicides is an total drop in gun violence.
In 2023, there have been 107 firearm homicides within the county and 369 nonfatal shootings. In 2024, there have been 75 homicides and 319 nonfatal shootings. To this point in 2025 there have been 22% fewer homicides for the primary half of the yr than the identical interval in 2024.
King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion attributed the drastic drop in homicides to efforts by her workplace to extra aggressively prosecute suspects concerned in nonfatal shootings, who typically go on to be concerned in deadly shootings. She stated knowledge exhibits that those that are concerned in nonfatal shootings have a better threat of being concerned in a deadly one, both as a sufferer or perpetrator, down the street.
Nonetheless, even with the lower, extra must be accomplished to vary the trajectory relating to the general use of weapons and gun violence amongst youngsters.
Since 2022, the variety of weapons confiscated by police, simply in Seattle, has elevated, with 1,913 seized in 2023, 1,934 in 2024 and 1,345 as of July 31 for 2025.
As well as, there’s been a gentle enhance within the variety of shootings — deadly and nonfatal — of individuals 17 and youthful since 2022.
In 2023, 9% of the capturing victims had been 17 and youthful. In 2024, 15% the place in that age group.
Within the first quarter of this yr, 11.6% of capturing victims had been 17 or youthful. Within the second quarter, 15.94% of capturing victims had been 17 or youthful. Such incidents usually result in retaliation, many instances with weapons.
Manion has made significant progress towards addressing youth gun violence. In 2024 she launched the Safer Schools Strategy, which is designed to coordinate with faculty districts to inform them when kids have pending felonies involving firearms. In its first yr, 100 notifications had been made, Manion’s workplace stated.
In the meantime, the state Legislature this yr stood in the best way of progress relating to youth gun violence. Manion tried to influence lawmakers to vary the regulation that enables juveniles to have 5 firearms convictions earlier than they are often held for longer than 30 days in a state juvenile rehabilitation program. The primary 4 gun convictions are restricted to a most of 30 days in an area juvenile facility. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Hackney, D-Renton, would have lowered the requirement to 3 convictions for juveniles to be held in a state program. However the invoice died an early demise.
Manion and Hackney are heading in the right direction relating to turning the tide in gun violence. Extra elected officers ought to use their energy to assist save lives.
