Gun Violence — A Crisis in Philadelphia

While gun violence in Philadelphia has slightly decreased within the past few years, it remains rampant and devastating. According to the Philadelphia Department of Police, there have been 636 shooting incidents and 332 shooting victims in 2025 so far. However, these numbers are far more than statistics. Just weeks ago, a fifteen-year-old boy was shot at a local playground, triggering waves of concern throughout the ninth grade. These incidents aren’t rare—they’re happening every day. Many students continue to believe in one misconception surrounding this crisis: that the root of gun violence lies strictly with the gun itself. Instead, the heart of the issue lies within the political neglect of communities, which often affects those most vulnerable.

Instead of focusing strictly on the gun, critical thinkers, including students, working to solve gun violence, first must focus on socioeconomic disparities within Philadelphia. Why do some neighborhoods experience gun violence daily while others don’t? This repetitive cycle is a result of socioeconomic factors such as poverty, underfunded schools, lack of affordable housing, underemployment, and the overall deficit of opportunity, and this gap between wealthy and struggling neighborhoods. 

Disinvestment in these communities leads to a sense of hopelessness that sometimes turns people to underground economies as a means to survive—economies with an increased risk of gun violence. According to the National Institute of Health, gun violence rates, specifically homicide, are disproportionately higher in areas with poverty and income inequality. Community safety does not emerge solely from strict gun regulation and gun bans. According to CBS News, the use of 3D-printed weapons, or “ghost guns,” has increased 1000% since 2017. These guns can be obtained without licensing in ways that require little certification or background checks. In addition to “ghost guns”, there will always be illegal firearms. If a person is desperate enough to obtain a gun, they will seek measures to do so. However, halting gun violence is possible. It begins with equity, equality, and opportunity, which can only come as a means of forming equal policy, which is where critical thinkers working to solve gun violence must put their energy. 

Instead of only working to increase gun control, the fight against gun violence must work to bridge the gaps within communities that have been ignored for too long. Students looking to get involved should increase awareness within their communities.