In 2025, data shows that gun violence shootings in the U.S. dropped to their lowest level in more than a decade, with cities across the country reporting steep year-over-year declines. Washington, D.C. specifically experienced a 31 percent drop in homicides, its lowest rate in nearly three decades.
Daniel Webster, public health professor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said the reductions are not a one-year anomaly. “This downturn began towards the end of 2022 for most cities and has been on a very steep decline historically,” Webster told WAMU Morning Edition host Esther Ciammachilli.
Webster said cities are using highly focused strategies aimed at a relatively small number of people most at risk to commit violence. He explained law enforcement deterrence is being paired with support services that help people move away from violence…