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When Andre Avery drives his commercial truck through Detroit, he keeps his gun close. Avery, 57, grew up in the Motor City and is aware that homicides and shootings are on the rise, though it has plagued the pandemic in Detroit and elsewhere. His gun is legal and he carries it for protection. “I remain extremely vigilant,” said Avery, who now lives in nearby Belleville. “I do not have a crowd. If something looks a little suspicious, I’m gone. ‘ In Detroit, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and even smaller Grand Rapids, Michigan and Milwaukee, 2020 was deadly, not only because of the pandemic, but also because violence is tremendous. Authorities and some experts believe that no one is clear – reason for the increase, reports the AP. Rather, they point to social and economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus, public sentiment toward police after the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, and a historic shortage of jobs and resources in poorer communities. as contributing factors. It happens in big and small cities, led by Democrats and Republicans.
Two years ago, Detroit had 261 homicides – the least in decades – and about 750 non-fatal shooting incidents in the city of more than 672,000. But with only a few days left in 2020, homicides are already more than 300, while shooting incidents increased by more than 50% by more than 1 124 to mid-December. “I think the pandemic – COVID – has had a significant emotional impact on people across the country,” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “Individuals are not dealing with disputes. Whether households, arguments, disputes over drugs, the speed is to use a firearm that is carried illegally.” About 7,000 guns were seized in Detroit by mid-December, with more than 5,500 arrests for illegal guns. There were 2797 similar arrests last year. “I have never seen such a peak before. But what do we all have in common when it happens in other cities – some smaller?” Craig said, “This is when you start thinking about COVID.”
(Read more stories about gun violence.)