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The shootings of two children in Washington D.C. over the weekend put a new focus on a problem that has risen steadily for years and is spiking so far in 2023.
WASHINGTON — The crime problem in and around D.C. added two more young victims over the weekend: a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old, each of whom was shot in separate instances, one while asleep in her bed, the other while riding in her family's car on Mother's Day.
As a result, people began asking: Are more children getting shot, or are we just paying more attention to it?
THE QUESTION
Are instances of shootings involving children in D.C., Maryland and Virginia increasing?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, more children are getting injured and killed in shootings in D.C., Maryland and Virginia compared to recent years.
WHAT WE FOUND
After increasing steadily for several years, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are witnessing a substantial spike in the number of children being shot.
Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks instances of gun-related violence, has records of the number of children victimized by shootings since 2014, sortable by date, state and city.
It shows that a total of 175 children under the age of 18 were injured or killed by shootings in D.C., Maryland or Virginia.
By 2022, that number had grown to 308. That is an increase of 76%.
Through May 14, Gun Violence Archive reported 247 children injured or killed in shootings. Extrapolating that pace over the course of a full year would lead to 670 young shooting victims. That would more than double the number from the year prior, and be nearly four times as many as 2014.
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