Background

Shooting incidents have long been a significant public safety concern in New York City. According to data from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the number of shooting incidents in the city has fluctuated over time, with some years seeing higher levels of gun violence than others. In recent years, there has been a general trend of declining shooting incidents in the city, though there have been some spikes in certain years, such as in 2020 and 2021.

In addition to the overall number of shooting incidents, there are also significant disparities in the distribution of gun violence across different neighborhoods and boroughs in the city. Some neighborhoods and boroughs have consistently higher rates of shooting incidents than others, and these patterns of violence often disproportionately affect marginalized and low-income communities.

Understanding the patterns and trends of shooting incidents in New York City is crucial for developing effective strategies to address and prevent such incidents. By analyzing data on shooting incidents in the city, we can gain insights into the factors that contribute to gun violence and identify opportunities for intervention.

Data Overview

The data on this website is sourced from the NYPD Shooting Incident Data (Year To Date) and covers shooting incidents in New York City from 2006 to the present. The data includes information on the location, date, and time of the incident, as well as age, gender, and race/ethnicity for both perpetrators and victims. This data is manually extracted every quarter and reviewed by the Office of Management Analysis and Planning before being posted on the NYPD website.

How to Use These Data

On this website, you can explore the data through various visualizations, including a citywide point map, trend graphs, heat maps, bar graphs, and borough-specific maps. These visualizations allow you to easily identify patterns and trends in the data, such as the number of incidents by year, month, weekday, and hour, as well as the characteristics of both the perpetrators and victims.

Why These Data are Important

Understanding the patterns and trends of shooting incidents in New York City is crucial for informing public health practice and crime prevention efforts. By analyzing the data, we can identify high-risk areas, times, and populations and target interventions accordingly. Additionally, understanding the characteristics of both the perpetrators and victims can help us address underlying social determinants of health that contribute to violence.

Implications for Public Health Practice

The data on this website can be used by public health practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders to develop and implement evidence-based interventions to reduce the incidence of shootings in New York City. By identifying high-risk areas, times, and populations, interventions can be targeted to specific locations and populations, and be tailored to address the underlying social determinants of health that contribute to violence. Additionally, by understanding the characteristics of both the perpetrators and victims, interventions can also be tailored to address the specific needs of these groups.

Key Takeaways

The findings of this analysis of shooting incidents in New York City have several important implications for understanding and addressing gun violence in the city. Some key points to consider include:

• The overall trend of declining shooting incidents in the city in recent years is encouraging, but there have been some spikes in certain years that warrant further examination. Understanding the factors that contribute to these spikes in gun violence could help inform interventions and prevention efforts.
  
• Disparities in the distribution of shooting incidents across different neighborhoods and boroughs suggest that gun violence is not evenly distributed throughout the city. Targeting interventions and prevention efforts in areas with higher rates of gun violence may be particularly effective in reducing the overall incidence of shooting incidents.
  
• Examining the characteristics of shooting incidents, such as the location type and whether the shooting resulted in a victim’s death, can provide insights into the nature of gun violence in the city. For example, understanding the types of locations where shootings are more likely to occur could inform strategies for preventing such incidents.
  
• Analyzing the demographics of suspects and victims can also shed light on the factors that may contribute to gun violence in the city. For example, examining the relationship between perpetrator and victim characteristics (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity) can help identify patterns and trends that could inform targeted interventions.

Overall, this analysis provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of shooting incidents in New York City, and can inform efforts to address and prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Citywide Data

Maps

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Shooting Incidents in New York City
January 01, 2006 through March 30, 2025
Map Author: Isaac H. Michaels, MPH
Data Source: NYC Open Data

Leaflet | Tiles © Esri — Source: Esri, i-cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX, GeoEye, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, UPR-EGP, and the GIS User Community

Map Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, MPH
Data Source: NYC Open Data (Current, Historical)

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Map Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, MPH
Data Source: NYC Open Data (Current, Historical)

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