At this year’s 54th Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) brought together leaders on the frontlines of one of America’s most urgent crises: gun violence.
On Thursday, Senator Warnock hosted Youth Under Fire: Addressing Gun Violence in Our Communities, a panel aimed at highlighting solutions that are already making a measurable impact in cities across the country.
Joining him were Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, and Greg Jackson, former deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Both Baltimore and Birmingham have seen significant drops in gun violence thanks to targeted intervention programs, stronger enforcement, and increased investment in mental health resources.
In 2024, Baltimore recorded its lowest annual homicide rate in more than a decade, a 23% drop from the previous year. Meanwhile, Birmingham reported an even steeper decline: a 52% reduction in homicides compared to 2023.
Mayor Scott and Mayor Woodfin credited these outcomes to initiatives focused on young people, community-based partnerships, and cracking down on the flow of dangerous weapons. Jackson echoed the importance of collaboration between local governments and the federal government, pointing to efforts that have disrupted illegal suppliers and reduced access to ghost guns and Glock switches.
Senator Warnock, who has long been outspoken about the toll of gun violence as both a pastor and a legislator, underscored the moral urgency behind the statistics.
“While we have made some progress… we have not done nearly enough. We have, in essence, told our children that in the face of this ugly specter of mass shootings… the best thing we can do for you is teach you how to hide,” Warnock told the panel. “What trauma are we visiting upon our children when we tell them the best thing we can do is to teach them how to hide? Not to mention the slow rolling crisis of mass shootings that happens in struggling urban communities, poor communities, Black and brown communities every single day. This is the worst kind of American exceptionalism. So I keep having this panel discussion because I know deep in my heart we are better than this.”
The Senator’s comments come on the heels of his advocacy following the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Warnock met with students and families, honored the victims on the Senate floor, and once again called for bipartisan action on gun reform.
Since taking office, he has supported several key measures, including universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, and the bipartisan Safer Communities Act — the first major gun safety legislation passed in three decades.
In a post shared to Instagram, Warnock wrote: “It was my honor to host a panel on gun violence with a group of important leaders from across the country to discuss strategies to save lives and prevent crime. Tackling crime and gun violence requires a comprehensive strategy that gets at the root causes, and these leaders have found strategies that work.”
