By Angela Hay
In April, the Cleveland City Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring gun violence a public health crisis in the city.
The resolution, sponsored by Council member Richard A. Starr, stated that “it is vital for the residents of this City that public and private institutions develop an evidence-based public health response to address the underlying social, economic, and systemic factors that can lead to gun violence.”
At the same session, Starr led the Council to formally recognize May 1-7, as Gun Violence Survivors’ Week to “raise awareness about gun violence, recognize the trauma of gun violence survivors, and honor the lives stolen by gun violence.”
Gun violence was not mentioned again in the City Record until early October, when Council resolved to partner with the United Way of Greater Cleveland for “programs, strategies, and activities focused on the reduction of gun violence.” The contract was authorized for a one-year term, with a cost not to exceed $1 million.
Neither Starr nor the United Way of Greater Cleveland responded to phone calls and emails seeking comment for this story.
Gun Violence in Cleveland by the Numbers
Statistics on gun violence in the Cleveland area offer evidence of the problem’s severity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1768 people died by firearm in Ohio in 2023. Nationally, the rate of gun deaths is 13 deaths per 100,000 people, but the rate in Ohio is 14.96. In Cuyahoga County, that rate is 21.5, the highest in the state.
The statistics are even more alarming when distinguished by race, sex, and age. An analysis by the Bloomberg School of Public Health found that, in Ohio, males are four times more likely to die by gun than females. Black people are 16 times more likely to die by gun than white people. Black women are 11 times more likely to die by gun than white women, and young black males ages 15-34 are 35 times more likely to die by gun than young white males.
A mass shooting took place in Slavic Village in September, and a separate mass shooting in October resulted in the closure of Play Bar and Grill in the Flats.
In the first 10 days of November in Cleveland, four people were killed within seven hours: a 74-year-old man shot his daughter and himself, a 19-year-old woman was murdered, and a 13-year-old boy was seriously injured.
State Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence
At the state level, Governor Mike DeWine’s office recently celebrated an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime in Cleveland. This would entails a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies. A recent press release listed 12 different agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police, Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others.
“These are data-driven, focused operations where we know the most violent offenders are committing the most crime in Cleveland,” the governor said at a Nov. 3 press conference.
“The men and women of our police department can’t do it alone,” Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb added. “Federal law enforcement has played a critical role, state law enforcement has played a great role, as well as the county and the prosecutor.”
In a series of press releases, DeWine’s office announced six firearm recoveries in Cleveland on Oct. 9, 11 on Oct. 15, and eight on Nov. 7.
Since July 2023, Cleveland’s violent-crime reduction initiatives have resulted in more than 1,400 felony arrests for serious offenses, including homicide and felonious assault. Authorities have also seized more than 1,000 illegally possessed firearms during that period, according to city officials.
Community Response
So far, community members have not felt the effects of the declarations and initiatives.
Together We Rise is a coalition of activists and organizations dedicated to ending gun violence and addressing the “crisis of crime” in their communities. In their 2024 strategy, they advocated for declaring gun violence a public health crisis, but the coalition was excluded from the council’s actions this year.
“We weren’t informed, invited, or included,” said Michelle Bell of M-PAC Cleveland. “The declaration that was meant to reflect our collective struggle got co-opted into political theater. Declarations only matter when they’re followed by real investments, accountability, and action — otherwise, they’re just well-written press releases masking inaction.”
“When coverage focuses on places like the Flats, I can’t help but wonder: is the concern about community safety or about economic impact?” said El Jay-em of Speakezie Go Hard. “Because in our neighborhoods he ones without the waterfront views — the gunfire has been constant, and our pain has rarely made the evening news.”
Members of the coalition are not optimistic about the city’s partnership with the United Way.
“Although I can see a connection through United Way’s First Call for Help to the crisis of gun violence,” Bell said, “I have not seen their presence in this space as an organization delivering programs and providing services beyond being a resource connector.”
“I don’t think that anything much will come of the City/United Way intervention,” said Judy Martin, founder of Survivors & Victims of Tragedy, Inc. “I doubt they will help the kids at the street level.”
There is no debate in Cleveland about the importance of decreasing gun violence, only how to address it. The state is attempting to address it with legislation and police action, while the city is approaching it with symbolic resolutions and strategic partnerships. The effectiveness of current interventions is still unknown.
