Messages of support and a photo of Izaiah Carter, a 16-year-old Patterson High School shot and killed in early March, can be seen on one of Forno Restaurant and Wine Bar’s sandwich boards. Carter had been an employee at the restaurant. Nine people under 18 have been murdered in Baltimore since Jan. 1, including a 12-year-old boy who was fatally shot with an assault-style rifle Saturday night in Westport. Another 29 city children have been victims of nonfatal shootings this year, according to Baltimore Police. (photo credit Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)
Messages of support and a photo of Izaiah Carter, a 16-year-old Patterson High School shot and killed in early March, can be seen on one of Forno Restaurant and Wine Bar’s sandwich boards. Carter had been an employee at the restaurant. Nine people under 18 have been murdered in Baltimore since Jan. 1, including a 12-year-old boy who was fatally shot with an assault-style rifle Saturday night in Westport. Another 29 city children have been victims of nonfatal shootings this year, according to Baltimore Police. (photo credit Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

Baltimore is leading among major US cities that have seen reductions in gun violence down to pre-pandemic levels.

An analysis from the liberal policy group Center for American Progress (CAP) found that nationwide gun homicides are on track for a 13.1% reduction from 2023; yet across most of the country, levels of gun violence remain high after a surge between 2019 and 2021.

Researchers found Baltimore led 14 of the nation’s most populous cities set to have fewer gun violence victimizations in 2024 than in 2019. Baltimore had 348 homicides in 2019; if current trends continue, that number could be below 200 this year.

Read more (and listen) at WYPR.