Delaware Leaders Unite to Combat Community Violence at Summit

State and national leaders gathered at Delaware State University this week for the inaugural Community Violence Intervention Summit, organized by End Community Violence Now. The event, held on the university’s Dover campus, aimed to celebrate progress in violence prevention and share strategies to further combat community violence.

Lauren Footman, executive director of End Community Violence Now, emphasized the importance of a collective impact approach to tackling gun violence. “Our role is to not only coordinate our community violence organizations, but to ensure that they have the financial resources and the capacity-building resources to reduce gun violence across the state of Delaware,” she stated.

During the summit, the Delaware Division of Public Health presented data revealing both advancements and ongoing challenges in addressing gun violence. In 2023, Delaware ranked 39th in the nation for firearm deaths, reporting 124 fatalities. The state also ranked 28th in homicides, with 55 deaths, a decrease from 64 in 2022. However, suicide-related deaths rose, placing Delaware 42nd nationwide with 144 reported suicides in 2023, up from 130 the previous year.

Footman highlighted the disproportionate impact of suicide on communities of color, noting, “Suicide is one of the leading causes of gun violence in the state of Delaware.” Despite the troubling statistics, the organization continues to spearhead collaborative efforts aimed at violence prevention throughout the state. One such effort is based on the Group Violence Intervention strategy, which has shown promising outcomes, particularly in the town of Laurel where there have been no reported homicides or shootings in 2025.

The summit also featured insights from Gregory Jackson, former deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and now president of the Rocket Foundation. Jackson discussed how national initiatives have influenced local actions, including those in Delaware. He highlighted a national “playbook” designed to integrate federal policy with local partnerships, improved data systems, and accountability measures.

“We’ve seen a 31% reduction in homicides nationwide over the last two years and a 20% reduction in mass shootings,” Jackson reported. He noted that the most significant declines occurred in cities with populations exceeding one million. Despite the closure of the White House office earlier this year under the Trump administration, Jackson stressed that effective violence prevention efforts begin at the local level.

“When the Biden administration began, there was only one statewide office of gun violence prevention. Now, there are 17 at the state level and 130 at the city and local level,” he explained. Delaware’s recent legislation to establish its own Office of Gun Violence Prevention reflects the collaborative framework that Jackson’s office helped to develop, which relies heavily on partnerships among community leaders, advocates, and government officials.

Funding remains a critical issue, with hopes that legislative leaders will allocate resources to community organizations already engaged in violence prevention efforts. As Delaware continues to confront the challenges of gun violence, the summit served as a platform for leaders to unite and strategize against this pressing issue.

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