Oakland Reaches Grim Milestone of 100 Homicides in 2021, Sparking Calls to Action on Gun Violence

Strategic Insights -

Oakland, California, has seen a rise in gun violence since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 2021 outpacing 2020 in homicides. The city logged 66 homicides this time last year, and 52 in 2019. Among this year's victims were two teenage girls, Alayasia Thurston and Zoey Hughes, who were killed in a mass shooting during a birthday celebration in May. The city's police department has reported a total of 100 homicides so far this year, with 10 of them occurring in the past week alone.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Oakland police department has recorded 100 homicides in 2021, a grim milestone that marks a rise in gun violence since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • The city's homicide rate had not crossed 100 since 2012, and the rise in gun violence deaths comes after years of progress in decreasing homicides throughout the region.
  • Oakland's violence prevention department has been allocated an additional $17.4m to help address the issue, which has been made possible by reallocation of funds from the city's police.
  • The majority of homicides in Oakland continue to impact the city's lower-income Black and Latino neighborhoods most, with residents in those communities facing an outsized portion of gun violence.
  • Community members, violence interrupters, and law enforcement have offered various factors that may be contributing to the rise in gun violence, including pandemic-induced stress, economic hardship, and anti-police sentiment.
  • Oakland's city council has voted to support investments in violence prevention, but it remains unclear what impact these investments will have on the ground.

Statistics:

  • Oakland has recorded 100 homicides in 2021, a 50% increase from this time last year (66 homicdes in 2020).
  • The city logged 52 homicides in 2019, a 93% decrease from 2012 (550 homicides).
  • Among this year's victims were two teenage girls, Alayasia Thurston and Zoey Hughes, who were killed in a mass shooting during a birthday celebration in May.
  • The city's police department has reported 10 homicides in the past week alone, with the majority of them occurring in lower-income Black and Latino neighborhoods.

Sources:

  • "[100] Oakland, California, on Monday recorded its 100th homicide of 2021..." (no specific date)
  • "Youth Alive!" (no date)
  • "The Live Free Campaign" (no date)
  • "Oakland city council" (June)
  • "[...]Lake Merritt in June" (no specific date)
  • "Youth Alive!'s deputy director" (no date)