When it comes to gun violence, America is one of the most violent countries in the world. A year ago this week, 450 people died from gun violence and another 900 were wounded. In response, we decided to take a closer look at gun violence with our series Seven Days, 1000 Shootings in America. Trying to put a face on the problem, Taking a look at the victims and survivors One year later, last night we asked for your views. The I team's Erica Stapleton has been going through those comments and joins us now with more of her series. Erica. That's right, Mark. We received a comment yesterday that asked what role drugs play in gun violence and since we got that last night, our team started pulling research to try and answer that question. So to start. The investigation I've been working on focuses on one week ago. Last year, This week, last year, and in Maricopa County, there were 12 shootings, 10 people were killed and 15 more were injured. And we can't say how many involved drugs, because there aren't enough records that tell us are publicly available to us to determine one way or another. We did request records on all ten of those cases, eight of which are still open, and some of those requests remain pending. Still, our team looked for answers, and while the research is somewhat sporadic or limited, what we found has a consistent message that drugs appear to have at least some influence on crime, including homicides and shootings. First stating all the way back to the 1990s when the Department of Justice reviewed crime data in 24 cities nationwide and concluded, quote, that arrestees were often under the influence of a drug at the time they committed their offense. Keep in mind, a lot has changed in the past three decades. And even at that time, they clearly stated that it was impossible to say quantitatively how much drugs influence the occurrence of a crime. The DOJ archives don't show more, but recent don't show more recent data. But we did find a 2022 study from Philadelphia last year that shows another link between drugs and gun violence, that areas where gun violence increased in the city also had high drug market activity. So we haven't been able to publicly to replicate that study here in Phoenix or find researchers who have done that. But what both of these and other links we came across consistently show is a connection between drugs and gun violence. And that's one thing that public health experts are trying to address in some really unique ways across the country. Take a look at what's happening in Charlotte, NC When a patient comes in here with a gunshot wound and we take a bullet out of their arms, we're not really treating the disease. Because, at least in my view, we've come to realize that the disease is related to a lot of the social ills that all of our communities are sort of facing. Doctor David Jacobs heads Atrium Health's Emerging Violence Intervention program, which offers survivors immediate help from within the hospital in Charlotte, NC We'll evaluate that patient, take an inventory of what their their acute social needs might be. Are they homeless? Do they need a tattoo removed? They need to get out of a gang. Do they need a job? Do they need what do they need in order to get their lives on a positive track? Once we have that inventory, then we set about writing a prescription like you would any other patient for what it's going to take to prevent the next violent injury in their lives. So far in Charlotte, they've helped 87 patients and work with 28 different social services. Providing a model that could work in other parts of the country. If we can perhaps change the trajectory of that one person's life, we may be able to change the trajectory of many folks at that individual comes in contact with. And that model matches with. The CDC also recommends to start tackling the root cause and risk factors. We have links to those recommendations on our website, which you can access by pulling out your phone right now and clicking on this QR code. Again, risk factors aren't just about drugs. Domestic violence and even teed violence also have to be addressed. This QR code will take you to all that on our website with a page with all that information and more. Mark Erica, Thanks. When you watch reports like this and you see the collateral damage left behind by gun violence, how should we react? Do we go on as if this epidemic isn't happening or do we say Okay enough's enough? Let's sit down and figure this out before the next school shooting. Maybe at my kids school Also, the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms, but should gun rights outweigh human rights in America? The right to live safely without fear of being gunned down the night? At 10, Erica continues her reporting looking at the impact of gun violence on teens and their families. And what solutions parents want to happen right now? And of course, we'd like to hear from you. If you've been impacted by gun violence or you want to hear more reporting about solutions, send us a text message at the number on your screen, 6 O to 444-1212. As we continue this series, we'll read some more of your comments during our newscasts.
