UIS professor tracks Memorial Day weekend gun violence
Alyssa Patrick, May 25, 2023, WAND News
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start to summer. But it's also one of the worst times for firearm violence across the U.S.
Local experts told WAND News, when the temperatures start to climb, so does gun violence.
"Overall nationally, the trend is since at least 2014, there's been a 70% increase in firearm injuries and fatalities over the long Memorial Day weekend," University of Illinois Professor Magic Wade told WAND News.
Professor Wade studies shooting and homicide trends nationwide. She said while the numbers may be shocking, it doesn't mean the public needs to panic.
"The vast majority of places will not experience gun violence. But there are places where there are predictably elevated levels of gun violence, especially certain large cities," Professor Wade explained.
Cities, like Chicago, are now preparing. Governor J.B. Pritzker announced this week, Crisis Prevention and Response Units will be deployed as peacekeepers, partnering with local outreach groups.
"When we know that there's heightened gun violence, in a certain weekend during particular times of the year, then it makes sense to plan ahead and provide law enforcement with additional resources and people who can actually de-escalate potential conflicts before they rise to the level of gun violence," Professor Wade said.
Click here to see her research regarding Memorial Day weekend gun violence.
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