For a city of its size, Austin has a low rate of homicides from gun violence, averaging four per 100,000 residents over a 15-year period. But an "alarming" spike in shooting incidents following the Covid-19 pandemic - from January 2021 to December 2022 - caused the city's homicide rate to surge to 8.3 and 7.1, respectively.
The report, released earlier this month, states that the goal of the analysis was to review the circumstances of each incident, explore the characteristics of the parties involved and "identify the networks associated with the highest risk of violence."
The detailed review, known in the criminal justice field as a gun violence problem analysis, was conducted with some limitations, the researchers note. Typically, the researchers examine both fatal and nonfatal shootings and homicides, "but we were only allowed to conduct interviews for homicide incidents," they note.
Additionally, the consultants were unable to interview the homicide investigators who worked the cases due to staffing shortages within APD. They instead interviewed sergeants within the homicide division.
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