The Health Divide: Gun violence costs the U.S. $557 billion each year. Black youth are the most affected.
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Andre Lee Ellis talks to a young boy at the “We Got This” community garden project in Milwaukee in 2018. Such programs have been shown to help young people avoid violence and resolve conflicts.
(Photo courtesy the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Published on
June 9, 2025
On May 31, four people were killed in separate shootings in Milwaukee. All four victims were Black, and their ages ranged from 18 to 49.
Many people understand the toll that homicides take on a community: families are left grieving, communities are traumatized, and often, children are left without a parent. But few recognize the financial burden such violence imposes on communities.
In 2023, the most recent year for which numbers are available, gun violence in America resulted in nearly 47,000 deaths — 27,300 from suicides and 18,000 from gun homicides. Additionally, twice as many individuals are injured, leading to an economic impact of $557 billion on the nation, according to the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. This amount is five times greater than the entire budget for the Department of Education.
Gun violence is a public health crisis and one of the leading causes of premature death in the U.S. But the crisis is not borne equally: African Americans are dying at far higher rates than white Americans.
A recent study analyzed the financial impact of homicides on taxpayers. In my hometown of Milwaukee, it was found that each homicide could cost up to $2 million, while each shooting could amount to over $644,000. This total encompasses health care costs, investigative expenses, incarceration costs, victim compensation, and social service assistance.
As of this writing, Milwaukee has reported 54 homicides in 2025, resulting in an estimated cost of around $100 million to taxpayers, according to Reggie Moore, director of violence prevention policy and engagement of the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The “414 Life” study focused solely on southeastern Wisconsin, but other models, like Everytown’s cost calculator, illustrate the financial burden that homicides, shootings, police shootings, and suicides have on taxpayers across different states.
For instance, if you selected the state of California and indicated that three people were killed by homicide and three injured, the financial impact amounts to nearly $58 million, with a burden of about $3.2 million on taxpayers.
“Knowing this, imagine if we could save one life,” said Moore, who has been working in the field of violence prevention for over three decades. “Gun violence is too expensive, and prevention is smart public safety.”
Many violence interrupters have personal experiences.
Gun violence is a racial justice issue that disproportionately impacts Black communities across the United States. Although they represent only 14% of the population, Black people account for 60% of firearm homicide victims each year.
African Americans are 12 times more likely to be victims of gun homicides compared to white individuals. The disparity grows even wider for young people: Black males between the ages of 18 and 24 are nearly 23 times more likely to die from firearm homicides than their white male peers. Additionally, Black males under the age of 18 are 14.5 times more likely to die by firearm homicide compared to their white counterparts.
Since 2020, gun violence has become the leading cause of death among children and teenagers across the nation. This crisis has been impacting Black children at an alarming rate since 2006, often without much discussion or attention.
“The thing we all know is that gun violence is both expensive and preventable,” Moore said.
Investing in evidence-based violence prevention programs, particularly community violence intervention initiatives, can significantly reduce homicides and gun-related incidents in the Black community, Moore said.
Moore emphasized the vital role played by “violence interrupters.” These individuals visit hospitals to speak with the families of those who have been harmed or killed, aiming to prevent retaliation and gather crucial information that can assist in making an arrest.
Many violence interrupters have personal experiences, including spending time in prison, which has allowed them to build trust within their communities. This trust enables them to work towards finding peaceful resolutions during tragic situations.
Unfortunately, these groups and organizations are often understaffed and inadequately funded, limiting their ability to halt shootings. Last month, Moore provided the Milwaukee Public Safety and Health Committee with new information about costs as part of a partnership aimed at preventing gun violence.
The 414 Life program, which started in 2018 in Milwaukee, treats gun violence as a contagious disease that can spread through a community. Since then, the program has intervened in more than 250 volatile situations where firearms posed a significant threat, whether it was a home under siege by gunfire or a neighborhood simmering with tension.
The dedicated violence interrupters, trained to diffuse high-risk encounters, have successfully deescalated conflicts before they escalated into tragedy.
The challenge lies in demonstrating how a program has prevented a shooting or homicide, especially when the only evidence is a person coming forward to say, "I was going to shoot this person, but thanks to this program, I chose not to." These situations are challenging to measure. However, research has shown that when adequately funded, such programs can effectively reduce shootings and homicides.
A 2021 report titled “The Evidence of Effectiveness,” from the Chicago nonprofit Cure Violence Global, demonstrated that cities adopting a public health approach to violence can significantly reduce homicides and shootings. Key to this approach is the use of credible messengers to interrupt conflicts and promote safer behaviors.
According to the report, the South Bronx in New York experienced a 63% reduction in shootings in 2018. Certain areas of Philadelphia saw a 30% drop in shootings in 2017, while Baltimore recorded a 56% drop in homicides in one community in 2012.
Violence interrupters reduce crime
Health journalists can play a crucial role in reporting on the costs associated with homicides.
Many people do not see how the death of a young Black teen impacts them. They may not know the teen or have spent time in the community where the teen lived. However, when a young person is shot and killed, at least some of the financial burden falls on taxpayers, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. This figure does not even account for the emotional loss experienced by the family and community.
It's also important to highlight programs that have a significant impact on changing a child’s life, as these can help encourage them to avoid violence.
For instance, during my 2018 fellowship at Center for Health Journalism, I worked on the We Got This community garden project, demonstrating how a community garden can address the trauma faced by youth in neighborhoods plagued by violence.
The garden served several important purposes. It provided young Black youth with positive Black male mentors and created a safe space for them to discuss the traumas they had experienced. The youth also learned skills in work and conflict resolution. Additionally, the garden played a significant role in resolving neighborhood disputes through its founder, Andre Lee Ellis.
One of the rules at the garden was that fighting, arguing, or any form of violence was not allowed on the premises or within the community. When tensions arose among the youth, they were promptly addressed and discussed, usually resulting in a positive resolution.
Additionally, before the “We Got This” community garden started on 9th and Ring in Milwaukee, the area was home to the second-highest crime block in the city. Between 2014 and 2018, crime rates in that area decreased by 10%.
Ellis said crime dropped because he got youth to take their hands off the triggers of guns and to place their hands in the soil to grow things.
According to Moore, violence interrupters are essential for reducing crime. To achieve this, communities must invest in proactive strategies. The reactive measures are far too costly, in lives and dollars.