KATY ENDRESS Peoria City/County Health Department

Firearm violence is taking place in communities across the nation and recently surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injurious death in the United States. Peoria is no exception. Firearm homicides of Peoria County residents doubled from 2020 to 2021. The victims are primarily Black males between the ages of 15-29 even though this specific population only amounts to 2.3% of the total population of Peoria County — highlighting the disproportionate impact gun violence has on this specific population. This gun violence is primarily taking place in two ZIP codes: 61605 as the South Side and 61603 as the East Bluff. These neighborhoods are predominantly communities of color, with high rates of poverty, unemployment, and disinvestment stemming from a long history of structural racism. It is necessary to understand how this problem was created to work towards solving it.

A framework that helps us see the range of factors that increase the risk of exposure to firearm violence is the social-ecological model.

Societal determinants

On the societal level of the social-ecological model, determinants include discriminatory housing policies, inequitable enforcement of laws leading to mass incarceration of people of color, and policies that do little to limit access to firearms. A recent study on the intersection of racist housing policies of the 1930s known as redlining and current rates of firearm violence proved that redlining and segregation explained 38% of the nonfatal shooting rate in neighborhoods that experience socioeconomic disadvantage today. Policies later created between 1985 and 2000 to curb illicit substance use increased prison sentences but were not evenly distributed among all offenders. These policies resulted in Black people being incarcerated at five times the rate of White people. The loss of income and lack of employment opportunities upon release resulted in social and structural factors, including concentrated poverty and segregation — all known to contribute to firearm violence today.

Community determinants

At the community level, policing is often tasked with solving the issue of violence. However, we must acknowledge that it is also a contributing factor. Since 2014, homicide rates have increased across the United States by 21.8%. In some cities, increases were even higher; in Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore, and Chicago, rates have risen by 350, 51, and 84 percent, respectively. These increases cannot be explained by the previously mentioned socioeconomic factors, such as concentrated poverty and unemployment alone. What precipitated the increases in these specific cities were highly publicized police shootings of unarmed black men leading to protests and community violence followed then by more police violence. This contributed to a rise in “street justice” over courtroom justice in communities of color where trust that the police would protect the residents and their families has been eroded.

Also at the community level, blighted neighborhood environments are strongly linked to firearm violence. Blight visibly indicates that a community is uncared for and crime is tolerated, resulting in an environment in which firearm violence can thrive. Abandoned buildings can also serve as storage areas for illegal firearms. In contrast, remediation of urban blight has shown a significant reduction of 39% fewer firearm assaults at or near abandoned buildings after they had been repaired.

Relationship determinants

At the relationship level, the network of peers, proximity to illegally trafficked firearms, and access to alcohol retailers contributes to risk for firearm violence. Community firearm violence concentrates within small networks of individuals well known to the criminal justice system. These types of social networks increase access to illegal firearms and increase risk of gunshot victimization. Research shows that individuals arrested with at least one other person (co-arrest) are more than 12 times more likely to also be a gunshot victim. Access to alcohol has also been shown to contribute to community firearm violence. Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for nearly half of the homicides in the US, and the presence of vendors that allow for off-site consumption (i.e. liquor stores) have a greater association with violent crime than those that only permit on-site consumption (i.e. bars).

Individual determinants

On the individual level, exposure to violence and the criminal legal system have been shown to increase risk for involvement in community firearm violence. In a sample of at-risk youth followed for five years, a recent study found that exposure to gun violence is associated with increased levels of aggression. Youth who reported more exposure to gun violence also reported more gun carrying. Prior exposure to the criminal legal system also increases likelihood of committing and becoming a victim of firearm violence. A recent study also found that gunshot victimization increased with the number of prior arrests.

While each of these factors alone contributes to firearm violence, it is the combined effect of all the above that is taking a toll on our most disadvantaged neighborhoods here in Peoria. With research available on the causes, policies should be written, and funding allocated, to undo the harms of the past and improve the conditions known to be having a devastating impact on our community today.

Check back next month for Part 2 of Gun Violence: Public Health Priority.
— Katy Endress, MSN, MPH, FNP-BC, is the Director of Epidemiology & Clinical Services at Peoria City/County Health Department with expertise and special interest in gun violence as a public health issue.