Is Violence becoming part of our normal life?

#GunCrisis

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• Stray bullets wound dozens across the US
• We’re looking at you! Keep the conversation going on gun violence reduction in 2013
• Universities declare: “The time has come” to confront gun violence in the US
• Five homicides mark the first 48 hours of 2013 in Philadelphia

Stray bullets wound dozens across the US Posted: 03 Jan 2013 09:44 AM PST Joseph Kaczmarek of the GunCrisis Reporting Project spotted this stray 9mm shell casing Tuesday afternoon on JFK Boulevard near LOVE Park while covering the Philadelphia Mummer’s New Year’s Day Parade for the Associated Press. At a press conference Monday, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said that police received 154 reports of shots fired on last New Year’s Eve, according to philly.com, and this year sounded much the same, based on Philadelphia Police radio traffic during the first few minutes of 2013. While punctuated by stray bullet injures from celebratory holiday gunfire, news reports reveal dozens of innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of gun violence across the US last month, beginning with the most recent: Florida: Jacksonville family thankful son is OK after hit with stray bulletFlorida: Stray bullet hits woman, may be from AK-47Ohio: Murder suspect arrested; Victim caught in crossfire at Lorain gas station on New Year’s DayIndiana: Stray bullets damage several homes on New Year’s EveFlorida: Stray bullet hits man on New Year’s EveTennessee: 6-year-old girl hit by stray bulletTexas: Stray Bullet InjuriesMaryland: 10-Year-Old Shot By Stray Bullet On New Year’s EveKentucky: Stray bullet narrowly misses sleeping childCalifornia: Child Shot While Waiting for SF FireworksFlorida: Kids caught in the crossfire around JacksonvilleTexas: Stray bullet killed Rio Hondo teenFlorida: 3-year-old shot while on sofa in Lakewood homeNew Jersey: Woman grazed by stray bullet in apparent Jersey City drive-by shootingCalifornia: Oakland parishioner struck by stray bullet from shooting outside churchNorth Carolina: Man Caught In Crossfire, Taken To HospitalColorado: Child Struck By Stray BulletTexas: Family Says Downtown Murder Victim Was Innocent BystanderNew York: Stray bullet hits womanColorado: Umbrella, Not Gun, Prompts School LockdownIllinois: Stray Bullet Goes Through Skokie Home WindowTexas: Suspect charged in fatal shooting of innocent bystander outside nightclubFlorida: Man sentenced to life for stray bullet killingVirginia: Innocent bystander killed in NN shootingIllinois: Stray Bullet Lands in Resident’s HomeGeorgia: Store owner accused of shooting customer and innocent bystanderArkansas: Man Accused of Killing Innocent Bystander Surrenders to PolicePennsylvania: 2 bystanders caught in crossfire of Lawrence County shootingIllinois: Stray Bullet Lands in Resident’s HomeWashington: Man and child shot in Congress Heights SaturdayTexas: Stray Bullet Shatters Window at CBS Radio

We’re looking at you! Keep the conversation going on gun violence reduction in 2013 Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:39 AM PST Following the tragic mass shooting in Connecticut last month, we saw steep growth in traffic and discussion across all of our platforms here at the GunCrisis Reporting Project, but as the graph above illustrates, the conversation on our Facebook page dropped back almost as dramatically as Christmas approached. We have seen at least one online exchange suggesting that Facebook may have dialed back all page impressions once again, and understand that holidays may have intervened, but please join us in maintaining a constant conversation in search of solutions to all gun violence, including not only mass shootings but also the daily toll of gunfire in cities such as Philadelphia. On a more encouraging note, traffic is maintaining at new highs at GunCrisis.org so far in 2013. Please share your ideas on how we can stop the gunfire, here in our comments section or on our social media platforms, which you can find in the right column.

Universities declare: “The time has come” to confront gun violence in the US Posted: 03 Jan 2013 07:47 AM PST The Executive Committee of the Association of American Universities released this statement today: The Association of American Universities, which comprises 60 leading U.S. and two Canadian research universities, believes that the time has come for the United States to confront our culture of violence, particularly violence perpetrated by guns. The Newtown slaughter is the latest in a series of mass murders, but the nature and number of its victims have caused Americans to devote special attention to this tragic event and its causes. Our schools and campuses have unfortunately become centers of national mourning, from Columbine to Virginia Tech, and now Newtown. As leaders of public and private universities, we strongly urge the President and the Congress to seek effective means of mitigating this scourge of American life. We believe that strong, meaningful action needs to occur in three domains: gun control, care of the mentally ill, and the culture of our contemporary media. Download the complete text: Statement on Gun Violence in America The Executive Committee of the Association of American Universities, on Behalf of the Association

Five homicides mark the first 48 hours of 2013 in Philadelphia Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:59 AM PST Police investigate the crime scene early Thursday morning on the 6000 block of Haddington Street in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia, where a man was shot to death just before midnight. Joseph Kacezmarek covered the scene for theGunCrisis Reporting Project. Police say the unidentified man in his 30′s was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene, according to 6ABC. Philly.com added that no one has been taken into custody. Police found another man’s body burning in a minivan in the Tioga section of the city earlier Wednesday night and three more people were shot to death early Tuesday, bringing Philadelphia’s homicide count to five for the first 48 hours of 2013.