Getting shot is not a trend

Reporting on gun violence needs more depth and understanding

After a short vacation, I was going to send out this latest story on local gun violence last Saturday. History interrupted and I put the story on pause. While the national conversation hasn't been about young people and guns -- a seemingly troubled 20-year-old tried to shoot the former president with his dad's rifle -- perhaps it will after the awful takes and political posturing have subsided. Meanwhile, the paused story…

When it comes to shooting incidents, the media often likes to report on police data, as C-Ville Weekly did recently, “Trending down: CPD Chief says crime rates lower overall despite recent spike in gun violence,” telling us that there have been 112 police calls for “shots fired” in the city this year, compared to 138 last year, a 19 percent drop, and that there’s been one person shot to death so far, compared to four people at the same time last year. To his credit, Charlottesville Chief of Police Michael Kochis pushed back, saying, “I’m careful how I talk about numb…