King County is experiencing a sustained and significant decline in gun violence, with the second quarter of 2025 marking a five-year low for firearm homicides and injuries. Data released today by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) confirms a downward trend that began in 2024 and continued through the first quarter of this year.

"King County is making progress – and we must continue our work to decrease gun violence," said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion. "Today’s data shows that the decreases in gun violence in 2024 and the first quarter of this year were not a fluke".

Key Reductions in Q2 2025 Compared to the second quarter of 2024, Q2 2025 saw notable reductions across key metrics:

• A 22% drop in firearm homicide victims.

• A 33% drop in nonfatal shooting victims.

• A 25% drop in total shots fired incidents, representing nearly 100 fewer incidents.

The latest quarterly report details the following raw figures for Q2 2025:

• 14 Fatal Shooting Victims

• 55 Non-Fatal Shooting Victims

• 278 Total Shots Fired Incidents

SEE THE PUBLIC REPORT HERE

Historical Context and Trends Data, illustrates the downward trajectory:

• Overall shots fired incidents in Q2 2025 (278) are the lowest since Q2 2020, marking a decrease of nearly 100 from Q2 2024 (373) and a 40% decrease from Q2 2023 (465).

• The number of shots homicide and shots injury incidents in Q2 2025 reached a low not seen in the last four years, with both experiencing more than a 50% decrease from Q2 2023.

• Similarly, the number of shots homicide victims (14) and shots injury victims (55) in Q2 2025 reached a low not seen since prior to Q2 2021. Shots injury victims saw a 55% decrease and shots homicide victims a 60% decrease from Q2 2023.

Strategic Partnerships Driving Progress Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion highlighted a new partnership in Kent, launched in November 2024, as a contributing factor to this positive trend. This initiative involves the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Kent Police Department, the Latino Civic Alliance, and Project Be Free.

The partnership employs a multi-pronged approach encompassing prevention, intervention, and enforcement. Its primary goals are:

• Solving non-fatal shootings.

• Identifying and reaching out to individuals most at risk of becoming gun violence victims or perpetrators.

Organizations involved regularly meet to share information about specific incidents and at-risk individuals. Project Be Free and the Latino Civic Alliance conduct direct outreach to those identified as most vulnerable. Law enforcement and prosecutors focus on identifying and prosecuting perpetrators, with a renewed emphasis on solving non-fatal shooting cases to disrupt cycles of violence. This collaborative effort appears to be having a positive impact.

Demographic and Geographic Insights Of the 69 shooting victims in Q2 2025, data suggests demographic patterns:

• Approximately half were identified as Black or African American.

• 90% were identified as male.

• A majority of victims were between the ages of 18-24.

A race/ethnicity breakdown for Q2 2025 victims indicates 53.62% were Black or African American, 24.64% White, and 13.04% Hispanic or Latino. It is noted that Black or African American males have remained the majority of shooting victims in Q2 over the last five years. The KCPAO acknowledges that race/ethnicity data may not fully reflect community demographics due to varying collection policies among law enforcement agencies.

Geographically, 52.16% of overall shots fired incidents in Q2 2025 occurred in the Seattle area, while 44.24% took place in south King County. This marks a shift from Q2 2021-2023, when south King County typically saw more incidents. Both areas experienced a decline in incidents since Q2 2024, with south King County seeing a 51% decrease since Q2 2023, reaching a low not seen since prior to Q2 2021.

Data Collection and Transparency The KCPAO plays a central role in tracking gun violence, filing cases involving firearms weekly and sharing data with law enforcement and local government leaders. The data in the report is submitted directly to the KCPAO from participating police agencies across King County, including Auburn, Bellevue, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Kirkland, King County Sheriff's Office, Renton, Seattle, Tukwila, and Washington State Patrol. The KCPAO is the only agency that maintains a county-wide report with this level of detail.

The office strives for accuracy and completeness, with data regularly reviewed and updated. Minor discrepancies can occur as new information emerges from law enforcement investigations, such as a shooting death later determined to be a suicide. The report explicitly excludes suicides, officer-involved shootings, and confirmed self-defense or self-inflicted shootings from victim counts.

The sustained decrease in gun violence in King County reflects concerted efforts by community partners and law enforcement, creating a safer environment for its residents.