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President Joe Biden is expected to unveil a plan on Wednesday (June 23) to address the nationwide surge in crime rates and gun violence. The strategy, according to CNN, will focus on prevention and emphasize preventing crimes involving guns. In 2021 so far, more than 9,400 people have died from gun violence, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive.
The White House says Biden’s “Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety” will include executive orders and a push for Congress to take action on gun control. The Strategy focuses on five pillars: curb the flow of firearms used to carry out violence, equip local law enforcement agencies with federal support to address summer crime rates, invest in community violence interventions, increase summer programs and opportunities for teens and young adults, and support formerly incarcerated people with reentry.
The surge in violence, experts say, stems from the pandemic, and coincides with typical rises in crime during the summer months. During the pandemic, public mass shootings decreased, however daily gun violence led to an estimated additional 4,000 murders in 2020. This year so far, there have been more than 280 mass shootings, contributing to nationwide crime rates and violence.
“We know that the secondary consequences of the pandemic and the proliferation of illegal guns has led to increased violence over this past year and a half, including a 30% increase in homicides and 8% increase in gun assaults in large cities in 2020,” a Biden administration official said during a call to reporters on Tuesday (June 22), CNN reported.
Biden will use funding from the American Rescue Plan to fund interventions and programs.
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