Shots Archived: Keeping track of area gun violence

The Fitzgerald Tire Company Co. building in Downtown Belmont was the site of a January 2023 shooting that left one man dead and another wounded. It was later revealed in court to be the result of a botched kidnapping plot. Photo: Melissa Garth Suttle.

While it’s a grim project, I noticed that while the public debate/discussion about gun violence is always ongoing, the facts and circumstances surrounding specific area shootings seem to fade away as each new one gets reported. As a result, people tend to become mere statistics and the often unique circumstances surrounding area shootings tend to get lost. Meanwhile, details about these shootings often don't come to light unless someone is apprehended and charged (or in the case of officer-involved shootings, or the November 13, 2022 mass shooting at UVA, after an investigation is completed) and even then details often don't emerge until there are court proceedings months or even years later. And, of course, this all depends on reporting …