Judge Lina Hidalgo today released data from the Harris County Commissioners Court Analyst’s Office (CCAO) showing an alarming rise in youth gun violence in Harris County.
“The epidemic of youth gun violence is not just based on stories, it’s backed up by the data,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo. “The gun lobby has the Texas legislature in an iron grip, despite Republicans and Democrats in the community supporting commonsense gun safety efforts. I urge our state legislature to step up and lead on this issue, to pass legislation that will make it harder for kids to get their hands on firearms.”
Last summer, Commissioners Court directed the CCAO to work with justice-related departments to draft a report with data, causes and evidence-based policy solutions related to youth gun violence from 2015 to the present. The data encompasses death and mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Juvenile Probation Department, and hospital data with help from Harris County Public Health.
The data is now being released, and shows that youth gun violence is worse today in Harris County than it was five years ago. Between 2016 and 2021, firearm-related deaths increased by 37% for youth across all demographics. In 2021, 50 children died in Harris County because of gun violence. That’s equivalent to the average size of 2½ elementary school classes. Black and Hispanic youth comprised 91% of youth firearm homicide deaths in Harris County between 2016-2021.
The full report can be found here.