New Jersey recorded its record lowest number of shootings since the state began keeping track in 2009, the Associated Press reports. Gov. Phil Murphy announced the milestone and called it a “great achievement for public safety.” In 2023, 924 people were shot in the state, down 13% over the previous year and the first time fewer than 1,000 were shot in a year. Of the more than 900 shot, 191 were killed, down 8% over the previous year. Officials attributed the downturn in part to federal, state and local law enforcement officials’ efforts to create safer neighborhoods, including by using data and technology to reduce shootings.
It’s unclear how much officials’ actions led to the downturn in shootings, as some violent crime across the U.S. has been falling to levels not seen since the COVID-19 outbreak. Murphy has made passing gun control legislation a top priority of his administration. He and the Democratic-controlled legislature enacted legislation enabling the attorney general to pursue lawsuits against gun makers, with the first cases brought late last year. The governor also pointed to a number of community-based violence intervention programs aimed at de-escalating conflicts before a shooting erupts.
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