Roanoke commission cites drops in shootings but rising firearm suicides, urges sustained funding

Roanoke’s Gun Violence Prevention Commission and police department reported declines in homicides and nonfatal shootings over a recent two‑year span but warned that firearm suicides have increased, and they urged continued funding for prevention and victim services.

Deputy Chief WJ Puckett opened the session and the police presentation showed the comparison that officials highlighted as evidence of progress: “if you look, at your homicides comparison, we had 39 for the 2 years of 2022 and '23 compared to 19 for '24 and '25,” a presenter said, describing what the department characterized as roughly a 51% reduction in homicides and a 55% drop in nonfatal shootings over the same intervals.

The police presentation also listed a 72% overall clearance rate for the cases discussed and a 93% clearance ratio for homicides in the most recent year, and said incidents remain concentrated in certain zones and in evening and overnight hours. Officials told the commission that determining motives for shooting incidents is often hampered by incomplete evidence, leaving some incidents categorized as "unknown."

Commissioners and community members used the session to press for prevention resources. Rabbi Cohen, speaking for several commissioners and community stakeholders, noted the economic rationale for prevention spending: “every single homicide in a city cost somewhere between 10 and $19,000,000,” he said, and urged council to treat prevention as an investment rather than an expense.

Valerie Keppel, the commission’s violent injury recovery and support program manager at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, described the Gun Lock Ambassadors effort and how it works: community volunteers sign up by scanning a QR code, watch a 20‑minute training video, take a short quiz and then receive gun locks and outreach materials; Keppel said the program has "signed up 25" ambassadors with about 50 more interested, and that funding to buy additional locks has come from city stock, ARPA dollars and potentially Safer Communities grants.

Josh Johnson, the commission secretary and a Roanoke City Schools youth‑development coordinator, described hospital‑to‑school coordination for students affected by shootings, citing Hazel Health virtual services, threat assessments and a “Handle With Care” police notification process to connect students to services on reentry. Jared Rose, who will lead the commission’s suicide prevention subcommittee, said the group is still in research mode and described possible interventions that create time and distance between a person at risk and a firearm.

The commission also highlighted a “Planting Peace” remembrance program that places trees for victims and their families and requested council consider mechanisms to ensure funds and reservable trees so bereaved families are not turned away. Commissioners asked council to consider two appointments to fill vacancies on the panel and to fund a dedicated victims‑advocate position to support families through investigations and court processes.

The session concluded with calls to sustain state and federal grant support and to explore how the commission and city could better coordinate prevention, intervention and response work.

The commission said it would follow up with specific funding requests and staffing suggestions for council consideration.