Remembering the lives lost and the trauma of gun violence

Gun-related incidents are down, according to a recent police report, but they continuing to happen with disturbing regularity across our area.

The Charlottesville Police Department released a report Monday congratulating itself on “reducing gun-related incidents” in 2025, saying they decreased by 51% from 2024 to 2025, “marking one of the most substantial public safety improvements in recent years,” the report said.

“Reducing gun violence remains one of our highest priorities,” said Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis. “A 51% reduction in gun-related incidents represents real lives impacted and real harm prevented. This progress is the result of our dedicated staff, strong partnerships with our community, and data-driven strategies that focus on both accountability and prevention.”

Of course, while those are stats to be happy about, they can be an abstraction that really doesn’t allow for reflection on the trauma that gun violence has caused over the last year. And the many ways and places t…