Gun violence in New York City has seen a concerning spike as temperatures rise, with shootings increasing by over 50% last week compared to the same period last year. This surge in gun violence has raised fears that the city may be in for a violent summer.
According to recent NYPD statistics, there were a total of 23 shootings reported across the five boroughs in the week starting April 21. This marks a significant 53% increase from the 15 shootings recorded during the same period in 2024. The warm weather seems to play a role in this uptick, with temperatures reaching a high of 82 degrees last Tuesday, making it the second-warmest day in April.
Over a 28-day period ending on Sunday, gun-related incidents were up by 17% compared to last year, with 61 shootings reported as opposed to 52 in 2024. Last week, in particular, saw the warmest weather of the month, with an average temperature of around 74 degrees.
Tragically, victims of these shootings include innocent individuals like 61-year-old grandmother Excenia Mette, who was fatally shot in the head while checking on her grandson, and 28-year-old plumber’s apprentice Daoud Marji, who was killed by a stray bullet in the Bronx. Additionally, an off-duty NYPD officer was grazed in the leg during an incident in Queens where two criminals attempted to steal his car.
The rise in shootings is further exacerbated by a decrease in gun arrests, down by approximately 17% last week and 30% over the 28-day period compared to the previous year. Despite this recent surge, overall gun violence in the city has decreased by 12% in the first four months of the year compared to 2024.
While the warm weather may be contributing to the increase in shootings, the city has seen an overall decline in gun-related incidents this year. Murders, specifically, have decreased by 24%, with 92 deaths reported so far in 2025. The NYPD had previously reported a 23% decrease in shootings during the first quarter of the year.
If current trends continue, New Yorkers could witness the lowest number of shootings in nearly a decade, dating back to 2018. Subway crime has also dropped below pre-pandemic levels, a milestone attributed to an increase in policing within the system by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
In January and February, the city set a 30-year record for the fewest shootings in the first two months of the year, indicating a positive trend in reducing gun violence.
