King County sees safest start to year since 2019 as shots fired drop significantly
Apr 29, 2025, 6:00 PM
(Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
The King County Prosecutor’s Office just released its shots fired report for the first quarter of 2025—and the news is encouraging.
“We are seeing a continued decrease in gun violence,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said. “In fact, King County has just experienced the safest start to a new year than we’ve had in the last five years.”
Manion explained that from 2019 to 2024, adult felony referrals were down 25%, there was a 7% decrease in the number of auto vehicle theft referrals, a 28% decrease in the number of adult burglary referrals, and a 13% decrease in the number of referrals related to serious assaults and other violent crimes.
In the first quarter of this year, 13 people died from gun violence, 47 others were injured, and 278 gunshots were fired. That’s a 41% decrease from the first quarter of 2024.
“Compared to any other first quarter in the past five years, Q1 of 2025 showed that homicides were down 35%,” Manion said. “Injuries due to firearms was down 36%. We are building a safety net, and we are working together to address this problem in our community. Now, we still have work to do, but the signs are promising.”
King County continues to see youth gun violence issue
However, there is still work to do, particularly when it comes to youth-related gun violence.
“Nearly 12% of shooting victims were age 17 or younger, and we also know that the largest group of gun violence perpetrators are in the 18-24-range. So, definitely gun violence among young people is still a problem,” Manion shared.
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Manion also said the reduction in shots fired is a team effort, and law enforcement is hopeful residents feel safer in their neighborhoods.
“We have prosecutors and law enforcement, local government, and community-based non-profits that are all working toward the same goal,” she added. “How do we reduce gun violence? We want our community to know what we’re seeing, and we want people to know that local government and prosecutors, and law enforcement are working together to tackle gun violence so they can feel safer.”
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