According to the FBI, the national murder rate declined in 2023 after a sharp rise during the pandemic. But Kalamazoo County had 27 homicides last year, a substantial increase from pre-pandemic levels.

WMUK reporter Jessi Phillips spoke to Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller and Urban Alliance’s James Harris about what may have fueled the surge in gun violence in the area, and how the police and the community are moving forward.

“There’s a there’s been a tremendous increase in the number of firearms that people have access to,” Fuller said. “That that tends to be one of the leading causes, or not causes, but contributing factors, to an increase in gun violence.”

Urban Alliance Outreach Manager James Harris mentioned the pandemic and the way it removed us from normal life. But he also said the cause is difficult to determine.

Read the full article on WMUK.