A Rutgers professor and other firearm violence prevention experts warn that the progress the country made last year in reducing homicide rates is in jeopardy because of a wave of federal cuts and policy reversals in 2025. In 2024, the homicide rate in the U.S. dropped 16%, according to a study, compared to the prior year – a powerful signal that evidence-based firearm violence prevention works when properly funded and supported.
A recent editorial, published in the American Journal of Public Health, highlights the potential impact of federal disinvestment on firearm violence prevention infrastructure in the U.S., underscoring the risks posed by recent policy reversals. The authors, comprised of leading experts from around the country, noted that sustained investment – or lack thereof – shapes public safety outcomes. They argued that recent policy reversals could disproportionately harm the communities most affected by gun violence.
Daniel Semenza, director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers, joined other national gun violence experts to write the editorial. They said crucial research funding has been terminated, enforcement of necessary firearm regulations has been scaled back and staffing cuts at public health agencies threaten violence prevention efforts. Without continued investment in violence prevention efforts, firearm-related deaths – including suicides, homicides and unintentional shootings – are likely to rise, the experts warned. This rollback of prevention systems threatens to deepen racial and geographic disparities in exposure to gun violence. To read the full story.