Philadelphia Eagles, Joined by Gun Violence Prevention Advocates, Host ‘Safer America’ Summit to Discuss Importance of Gun Violence Prevention in The City Featuring the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Philadelphia Has Seen One of the Largest Drops in Gun Violence Across Major U.S. Cities in 2024, Down 53% From The Same Period in 2022
Advocates Renew Calls to Continue Pushing for Safer Communities Amidst Groundbreaking Progress
PHILADELPHIA – Today, during the Philadelphia Eagles “Safer America” summit, community leaders, survivors of gun violence, and leading gun violence prevention organizations came together for a discussion featuring the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The discussion highlighted the remarkable life-saving progress that has been made to reduce gun violence over the past several years and demonstrated the ongoing commitment to elevating community efforts until everyone can live free from gun violence.
Today’s summit was hosted at Lincoln Financial Field by the Philadelphia Eagles and included more than 100 leaders including leaders across all levels of government, direct service and violence interruption non-profits, public health leaders, survivors, and other community leaders. While acknowledging the progress that has been made to reduce gun violence across the city by 53% in 2024 compared to the same period in 2022, every life lost to gun violence is preventable and the work to end gun violence must continue until all communities across the city can live free of this fear.
“We are privileged to host advocates and survivors alike to further the discussion around gun violence prevention in Philadelphia,” said Don Smolenski, President, Philadelphia Eagles. “Through the work of Mayor Parker and her team, our community leaders, local nonprofit organizations, and the Philadelphia Eagles Social Justice Fund grantees, we have seen a drop in gun violence across our city. We will continue to be a part of these conversations to foster a safer and stronger community.”
The Eagles announced the 2024 Social Justice Fund recipients, awarding grants to nine Philadelphia-area nonprofits that provide education and support for violence prevention. Since 2018, the Eagles have contributed more than $2.6 million in funding to local social justice organizations through the Eagles Social Justice Fund.
It is part of a historic investment by government, businesses, and philanthropy to build a safer city. The PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency, led by Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, has awarded more than $67 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grant funding in Philadelphia since 2021, supporting 115 projects. 55% of those resources originated with the federal government, through the American Rescue Plan.
“We can never allow ourselves to become numb to the epidemic of gun violence and give up hope that a better, safer future is possible for Philadelphians and all Pennsylvanians,” said Adam Garber, Executive Director of CeaseFirePA Education Fund. “The incredible leaders in this room today are the reason we’ve been able to achieve historic declines in shootings. The work being done day-in and day-out to address the root causes of violence and intervene before a shot is fired – it’s working. And these are the people, programs, and strategies that will be leading the charge toward ending this public health crisis. If we continue the Biden-Harris and Shapiro-Davis administration’s record investments in safer communities and stay focused on changing our systems to provide for our safety, I’m hopeful that one day, we can all live free from gun violence.”
“The remarkable drop in shootings across Philadelphia is a credit to all the lawmakers, advocates, business leaders, and frontline community groups that joined forces to keep each other safe — and a reminder that gun violence is a solvable problem, not an inevitable fact of American life,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown remains committed to helping Philadelphia drive down the rate of gun violence even further, until every part of the city is freed from the grip of this deadly crisis.”
“Addressing a crisis as large and complex as gun violence in America will take all of us working together, and we are so proud to stand with our partners in this vital network today,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “The progress we’ve witnessed in Philadelphia confirms what we’ve always known — our communities have the solutions to this crisis, we simply need elected officials who will prioritize our safety. The investments made by the Biden-Harris and Shapiro-Davis administrations have empowered and sustained the lifesaving work that local leaders are doing day in, day out. We’re excited to keep building on this momentum and make Philadelphia a safer city for everyone.
“NextGen America is proud to join with community leaders and our partner organizations to discuss the importance of common sense gun policies to protect our communities,” said NextGen America Pennsylvania State Director Cortney Bouse. “Young people have a vision of a future where every person in America feels safe in their classrooms, workplaces, and neighborhoods. The Biden Administration has shown that it shares this vision through introducing new regulations on ‘ghost guns’ and signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law. We thank the Philadelphia Eagles for hosting the summit during which we discussed how we can prevent gun violence and continue to save lives in Philadelphia.”
Through significant investments in gun violence prevention efforts and community violence intervention programs, community advocacy, and policy change led by the Biden-Harris Administration and the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Philadelphia and cities across the country have seen a reduction in gun violence. Philadelphia has seen one of the largest drops in gun violence incidents across major cities when comparing year-to-date data from 2022 to 2024. This progress has been made possible through the coordination and collaboration of community violence intervention groups, local, state, and federal elected officials, law enforcement, advocates, and the support of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The “Safer America” summit was hosted in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing approach to addressing gun violence in coordination with survivors, community leaders, law enforcement, local government, and violence prevention experts.
