New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday that 2023 marked the lowest number of mass shootings since records began being kept in 2009.
Murphy, a Democrat, and other officials announced the milestone, calling it a “great accomplishment for public safety.”
“We must also keep in mind the victims of gun violence and their loved ones, and rededicate ourselves to the fight to eradicate gun violence from our state once and for all,” Murphy said. .
The gunman who killed a New Jersey imam remains at large, with a $25,000 reward offered for his arrest.
Officials say 924 people were shot in the state in 2023, a 13% decrease from the previous year and the first time the annual number of shootings fell below 1,000. Of the more than 900 people shot, 191 people died, an 8% decrease from a year ago, officials said.
Officials say this is partly due to efforts by federal, state and local law enforcement officials to create safer communities, including using data and technology to reduce mass shootings.
FILE – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks to reporters during a press conference on Monday, February 7, 2022 in Trenton, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
“This historic initiative combines a holistic approach to strategically deploy limited resources, reliance on and use of data and technology, community engagement, and law enforcement collaboration,” the governor's office said in a statement. “We are assuming a partnership between the two.”
The FBI says it's unclear how much of the agency's actions led to a drop in shootings, as violent crime in some parts of the country has fallen to levels not seen since the coronavirus outbreak.
Murphy has made passing gun control legislation a top priority for his administration. He and the Democratic-controlled Congress passed a bill that would allow the attorney general to bring lawsuits against gun manufacturers, and the first lawsuits were filed late last year.
The governor also pointed to a number of community-based violence intervention programs aimed at de-escalating conflicts before gunfire erupts.
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The announcement came a day after Islamic leader Hassan Sharif was shot and killed in Newark, the state's largest city.
