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Climate Change Is Warming Cities. Could the Trend Affect Gun Violence?

Summary

The Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that exceptionally high daily temperatures in U.S. cities increased shootings. In the Northeast and Midwest, where hotter weather is seasonal and residential segregation and environmental racism are prominent, the association was strongest. The research indicated that days hotter than a city's median temperature caused approximately 7% of all shootings. High temperatures caused approximately 10% of shootings in the Northeast and Midwest, but only 3% in the Southeast. Most shootings occurred in moderate temperatures, while the warmest days saw the most gun violence. In disinvested neighborhoods, planting trees or reducing asphalt reduces crime and shootings. The University of Pennsylvania found that low-cost house modifications including adding new windows reduced gun attacks by 13%.

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