Survey: More than half of at-risk Pittsburgh-area youth have lost a family member to gun violence
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As Allegheny County saw a doubling of youth homicide between 2020 and 2021, a new survey of at-risk youth looked into the gun violence epidemic in Pittsburgh and the county.
The research was conducted by CeaseFirePA and The Greater Pittsburgh Coalition Against Violence and found that statistics showed a rise in shootings was just one part of the troubling trend.
"We are witnessing the mass traumatization of a generation, with long-term individual and societal consequences. It's a tragedy – but with many shootings preventable through life-saving gun safety policies from Harrisburg – it's also a man-made catastrophe," said Josh Fleitman, western Pennsylvania manager for CeaseFirePA. "If the bloodshed so far has not shaken the conscience of many state legislators, I hope this survey's chilling results will spur them to take urgent action."
The survey spoke to 400 at-risk youth and found 57 percent have lost a family member to gun violence while 46 percent have personally witnessed gun violence. The survey also found 86 percent are concerned gun violence will impact their family.
Victims of gun violence and activists are calling for something to be done. They said we can't just sit back and expect the problem to go away.
"I shouldn't have to be here. As a 17-year-old young woman, I should be worried about college and getting my career started, but yet I'm here," Cierra Guest said at a Wednesday morning press conference. She lost her sister to gun violence in 2021.
In addition to youth homicide rates doubling, Pittsburgh police reported a 25% increase of homicides from June of last year to this year. Victims said it needs to end.
"To all the young kids out there, just stay off the streets. There's nothing good out of it. The streets don't love you. You're loving the streets for no reason," Keith said. He was shot in the spine and had to learn to walk again.
One of the kids surveyed was 5 years old. They are afraid to go outside because of the threat of gun violence. Community groups are calling it a pandemic.
"Can't lock yourself up behind closed doors and pretend that gun violence is not affecting you," Rev. Elanor Williams with the North Side Partnership Project said.
Groups are working with Mayor Gainey's office to tackle the problem.
Neighborhood and community group leaders want to work with schools to set up youth summits. The goal: one-on-one conversations with students about what they see and how to combat it.
"The conversations continue in the school with the youth and the school and the youth ambassadors who become leaders in the anti-violence movement," B-PEP chairman Tim Stevens said.
Until there is a demand for accountability on violence from lawmakers all the way down to individual neighbors, leaders said nothing will change.
You can read the full survey here.