Gun Violence in The District of Columbia and Interfaith Leaders Solutions to This Problem

By Rev. Melissa Greenhow

In “Gun Violence Is on the Rise in D.C.” by Axios journalist Paige Hopkins, she writes that despite numerous safety measures, preventative programs and stringent gun restrictions, the District of Columbia has seen a considerable increase in gun violence over the past 5 years. The locations with the greatest increases in gun violence include Florida Ave., NW close to Shaw; H St., NE close to Kingman Park; and portions of Southeast DC close to Anacostia. Nightly news broadcasts in the nation’s capital feature at least two shootings involving youth each night, and since the beginning of the year, it’s estimated that 43 of the city’s youth have been impacted by gun violence.

Spurred on by these concerning trends and as part of the Skinner Leadership Institute 2023 fellows community project for the Masters Series for Distinguished Leaders (MSDL) Program, Class XV, Dr. Andrea Boudreaux and I, led by Dr. Barbara SkinnerWilliams, CEO and co-founder of the Skinner

Leadership Institute, are diligently working to create an online gun violence prevention resource directory of valuable tools, financial and informational resources, and bestpractice examples that help reduce gun violence in the District of Columbia.

Our goal is to produce an interactive, onestop, emergency gun violence prevention guide on the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) website that will be accessible to everyone. By providing a focal point for crucial collaboration, strategic communication, and up-to-date knowledge of vital resources, this guide would be a resource to support the work of interfaith and community organizations. Mayor Muriel Bowser formally incorporated the OGVP into the Office of the City Administrator a little more than a year ago. OGVP is intimately familiar with the many exceptional organizations and people within the religious sector who are steadfastly working to eradicate gun violence in our city, frequently in the absence of the resources required in times of crisis.

We need your help in creating this directory which we believe can help save lives and prioritize the safety of all District residents. We want to unite all congregations and religious organizations interested in leading this endeavor, and ask you to take a few minutes to answer the following survey questions and return your answers via email to Dr. Amy Mack (amy.mack@dc.gov), Rev. Aaron Tinch (aaron.tinch@dc.gov) and Dr. Barbara Skinner-Williams (dr.williams.skinner@gmail.com)

Rev. Melissa Greenhow is a 2023 Skinner Institute Fellow in the Masters Series for Distinguished Leaders (MSDL) Program