Gun violence down but it’s ‘not mission accomplished’ in King County
Feb 17, 2025, 11:07 AM | Updated: 11:16 am
Seattle Police Department officers recover guns and drugs as evidence of a crime over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of the Seattle Police Department)
(Photo courtesy of the Seattle Police Department)
For the first time since 2018, King County has reported a decline in gun violence, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The latest data, compiled from 39 law enforcement agencies across the county, shows a significant decrease in the number of homicides, non-fatal shootings, and reports of shots fired in 2024.
Casey McNerthney, Director of Communications at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, shared the encouraging news on ‘Seattle’s Morning News’ on Monday. “When you look at the overall number of homicide victims, that’s down almost 30%. The number of folks that are wounded, that’s down 13%, and the number of reported shots fired is down 6%,” McNerthney said.
Despite the positive trend, McNerthney cautioned that the fight against gun violence is far from over. “It’s not mission accomplished,” he said. “It’s still higher than we want it to be, but it’s encouraging that we see it go down just a little bit.”
The reasons behind the decline are not entirely clear. McNerthney noted that while factors such as increased prosecutions and police presence might contribute, it is likely a combination of community input, responsive policing, and consistent prosecutions. “It’s not one magic touch or one factor, but it’s important to have all those at play,” he explained.
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One area of concern remains youth gun crime. In 2024, there was a 45% increase in the number of youths shot, with 61 incidents reported. “That’s 61 families that are really affected. That’s a terrible number,” McNerthney said. Efforts to combat this issue include weekly calls with law enforcement to address potential threats and collaborations with school administrators to keep kids in school. Additionally, a bill in Olympia aims to address the issue of minors possessing guns illegally.
Frank Lenzi is KIRO Newsradio’s News Director.
