Publication date: Jun 24, 2025
The objective of this study was to elucidate reasons for and solutions to community firearm violence from firearm injury survivors after the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a qualitative study secondary analysis. The original study question focused on participant engagement with medical and mental health services after their firearm injuries. Individual in-depth interviews were completed with participants who were community-dwelling survivors of firearm injury using an interview facilitator guide. The interviews were analyzed using narrative content analysis and were coded independently by two researchers. Eighteen interviews were completed. Reasons for violence included prevalence of guns, flexing, stealing/robbery, beefs, COVID, and drugs, gangs, and music. Solutions to decrease community violence included limiting gun access, unknown, increase community cohesion, replacing rap music with positive role models, increasing policing and criminal penalties for violent acts, and people minding their own business. This qualitative study of firearm injury survivors after the increase in violence surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic support a multifaceted approach for community violence prevention with limiting firearm access and strengthening community connectedness as top priorities.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Beefs | Community violence |
| Eighteen | Firearm access |
| Gangs | Firearm injury survivors |
| Pandemic | Qualitative research |
| Researchers |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | violence |
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |
| disease | IDO | role |