Gun Violence Prevention Commission reports sharp drop in homicides since 2023, urges sustained funding and community programs

Roanoke’s Gun Violence Prevention Commission presented its annual report to City Council on Oct. 20, saying the city has seen a measurable decline in gun homicides and aggravated assaults since their 2023 peak but that sustained action is still required.

“Since its peak in 2023, homicides are down 55 percent in the city of Roanoke. Aggravated assaults down 44 percent from year 2023 to 2024,” the commission said in its presentation, asking council to treat the progress as the starting point for continued work rather than proof the problem is solved.

Why it matters: the commission said the decline largely returns Roanoke to a multi‑decade average but noted that a small subset of individuals accounts for a disproportionate share of violent incidents. The commission framed gun violence as partly an impulsive, heat‑sensitive public‑health problem and urged a mix of prevention, intervention and response strategies.

Recommendations and programs

- Sustain and continue funding for existing prevention and intervention programs, including Groceries Not Guns, RESET and the violent injury recovery and support program at Carilion Clinic. - Expand public health messaging on safe storage, gun locks and measures to reduce gun suicide risk. - Fund and coordinate the planting of memorial trees ("Planting Peace") tied to unsolved homicides and to create cooler, greener public spaces linked in the presentation to reductions in violent incidents in hotter neighborhoods. - Consider funding for FedUp (victim support/counseling) and additional coordination with news media to highlight unsolved cases.

Evidence cited and community programs

The commission showed city police data and maps tying gun incidents to a pattern of gun thefts from vehicles and to neighborhoods with lower tree canopy and higher urban heat. The commission noted that a high share of guns encountered in investigations were stolen from vehicles and urged residents not to leave guns in cars.

Carilion Clinic’s violent injury recovery and support program reported enrolling more than 120 people since it began two years ago and said 25 percent of people presenting in EDs for assault have enrolled in its services. A Carilion representative told council the program works with enrolled victims for up to 12 months and uses "credible messengers" for bedside and in‑home support.

Public comment and community partners

Community partners and commission members said Groceries Not Guns buybacks have removed hundreds of firearms from circulation in the city. Dr. Brenda Hale and Michael Heller of local partner organizations said the program has collected roughly 550 firearms to date, including about 200 semi‑automatic handguns.

Commissioners and councilmembers asked for more metrics showing longer-term trends; the commission said it will provide multi‑year comparisons going back before 2019 and requested a working session on its full written recommendations. The commission also noted a rising concern about gun suicides and requested focused attention on that trend.

Ending

The commission asked council to set a working-session date to move specific recommendations into budget proposals. Council members said they would schedule follow-up and described the presentation as a model of the city’s multi-partner response to the issue.

Direct quote (from the commission): "Any barrier that can be erected between that and a gun will save lives," the presenter said, urging wider use of gun locks and public messaging.