Firearm homicides are down in Lake County, the anti-gun violence coalition said Tuesday at a news conference called to announce new initiatives in its ongoing effort to reduce shootings.
Members of the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative said firearm homicides were down 41% last year in Zion, North Chicago and Waukegan, three of communities that experience the brunt of the county’s gun violence. Those three cities saw 13 firearm homicides last year, compared to 22 in 2022 and 18 in 2021, according to the GVPI.
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, who spearheaded the creation of the GVPI, said the numbers were positive, but much more work remains to be done.
“The mission of the GVPI — and really the mission of all law enforcement, the State’s Attorney’s Office and community-based organizations — is that there’s no more gun violence, and there are no more victims,” he said at the Tuesday event in Waukegan.
The GVPI is a broad-based coalition aimed at preventing violence before it happens, as well as providing support for victims. Its most visible public component is the Lake County Peacemakers, a group of people from, and working within, affected communities at the street level on de-escalation tactics.
GVPI Executive Director Tierra Lemon called the Peacemakers superheroes.
“These are people with extraordinary powers who can save others from danger,” she said.
Members of the group laid out some new plans as part of a 45-page report. The group will spearhead a secure firearms storage education campaign in the coming months. The group will work with law enforcement and other interested parties to increase awareness of the issue of easy access to guns.
The GVPI will also partner with the Veterans’ Administration and the Illinois Department of Public Health to distribute thousands of free gun locks to Lake County residents
The group will also expand its work with community organizations that provide mental health counseling to people affected by gun violence. It is also expanding mentorship and other programs aimed at students.
