Knowledge Tree
Gun violence
Facts (11)
Sources
Hope After Harm: An Evaluation of State Victim Compensation Statutes americanprogress.org Aug 20, 2025 8 facts
accountMichelle Barnes-Anderson of Brooklyn, New York, first learned about the existence of victim compensation programs in 2017 after her son, Melquain Jatelle Anderson, was killed by gun violence.
quoteJoan Gerhardt, the director of policy and advocacy at the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, stated: 'I’ve heard that many victim compensation claims, particularly of Black and brown families in New York’s cities who have had family members murdered by gun violence, are routinely denied state assistance, even if there’s no real evidence that the victim contributed to the crime that caused their injury or harm.'
accountIn 2016, Ebony Robinson of Minneapolis lost her 24-year-old son, Andre Riley Jr., to gun violence. Despite receiving victim compensation, she felt the amount was insufficient to cover the time off work she needed to grieve, stating: “I just struggled. I didn’t pay my bills. I didn’t even remember to even open any bills. … I was forced to go back to work, and I wasn’t ready.”
accountAaliyah Strong of Atlanta founded the nonprofit organization Tyme to Thrive in memory of her fiancé, Ty Ross, who was killed by gun violence in 2022 at age 28. The organization provides financial and emotional support services to families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
accountMonica Cassaberry (also known as Mizz Real) of Brooklyn, New York, lost her 22-year-old son, Jamal Singleton, to gun violence in September 2011. She received $6,000 in burial expense compensation, which was the maximum amount available in New York at the time, but she stated it was inadequate to cover the full costs of burial and cremation.
accountA mother from Brooklyn, New York, who lost her son to gun violence, was denied the full $6,000 burial expense compensation from the New York State Office of Victim Services because the agency determined her son contributed to his own death, resulting in a payout of only $3,000.
accountPrincess Titus lost her 16-year-old son, Anthony Titus, to gun violence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and subsequently co-founded Appetite for Change, a nonprofit organization that trains youth in the food industry and provides jobs to community members.
accountA survivor of gun violence working with Good at Urban Grief was denied victim compensation after being deemed uncooperative by law enforcement, despite the survivor's willingness to speak with police. The denial occurred after police attempted to question the survivor in the hospital immediately following surgery, and the officers failed to follow through on a scheduled appointment to meet with the survivor later.
Evolutionary psychology - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 2 facts
claimHumans acquire a fear of spiders and snakes as easily as they do a pointed gun, and more easily than an unpointed gun, rabbits, or flowers, despite spiders and snakes causing few fatalities.
measurementMore than 20,000 people in the United States die from gun violence annually.
Course Schedule - Texas Law law.utexas.edu 1 fact
claimThe Protection of Legal Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2005, immunizes the firearms industry from civil liability for harms resulting from gun violence.