Salem report shows gun violence is predominantly caused by young men in gangs

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A recent gun violence report found that at least 49% of the people involved in Salem homicides and shootings are associated with certain groups or gangs, despite local law enforcement projecting that less than 0.01% of the population is gang-affiliated.

The Salem Police Department shared the Salem Violence Problem Analysis earlier this month. The report covers homicides and non-fatal shootings from January 2018 to June of this year, not including justified self-defense, self-inflicted gunshots, and officer-involved shootings.

According to the data, there were 86 incidents involving 102 victims within that time period.

While gang-related conflict was the known motive for just 17% of these incidents, Salem officials say that nearly half of the victims and suspects were affiliated with at least one of the eight identified groups or gangs in the area.

Researchers additionally noted that 87.3% of those involved in the incidents were men. About 34.7% of the victims and suspects were between the ages of 18 and 24.

The data also indicates a significant increase in juvenile arrests between 2018 and 2020, compared to arrests from 2021 to 2023. In particular, SPD found a 320% average increase in the proportion of juveniles arrested for aggravated assaults and an 88% increase in the proportion of youth arrested for weapon law violations.

Furthermore, the report shows that 65% of the recorded homicides and incidents occurred within the same five square miles of northeastern Salem — which accounts for just 11% of the city’s land area.

“The findings of this gun violence problem analysis should be used by the SPD and City of Salem to assess their existing and future violence interventions to ensure that they focus on the people, places, and circumstances driving the most violence citywide,” researchers said.

Salem leaders were advised to proactively identify high-risk groups and gangs, engage with residents that are at the “very highest risk” for gun violence, and focus on the areas that have been deemed hot spots for violent incidents.