Shootings on Long Island Increase
By Hank Russell
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that, during the first four months of 2026 compared to the same time last year in communities participating in the State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, gun violence incidents across the state fell 64% over a five-year period from 2021 to 2025.
New data from the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) shows shooting incidents with injury dropped 17% percent, the number of shooting victims declined 19% and the number of individuals killed by a firearm decreased 43%. At the same time, there were no firearm-related homicides in 18 of the 28 GIVE communities.
Compared to the first four months of 2021, the reductions are even more significant. Shooting incidents with injury declined 64%, from 324 to 116 incidents. Shooting victims decreased 66%, from 373 to 127, and firearm-related murders dropped 66%, from 61 to 21 deaths. These positive trends in GIVE communities follow last year’s all-time low numbers for all three shooting data points, which the state began collecting in 2006.
“New Yorkers are safer today because of our continued investments in proven, data-driven strategies that are helping reduce gun violence and save lives,” Hochul said. “Everyone deserves to live free from the scourge of gun violence. As we work to continue this progress across communities that experience gun violence, my administration will continue to support the hard work of law enforcement, community organizations and local leaders on the front lines of this fight.”
Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Every decline in violence means more families kept whole, more children growing up in safer neighborhoods and more communities able to thrive free from the fear and trauma caused by gun violence. These results reflect the commitment of law enforcement, community organizations and local leaders working together every day to build a safer New York for everyone.”
However, on Long Island, the number of gun violence incidents has increased year over year. So far, there have been 28 incidents this year, up from 23 during the first four months last year. However, that is less than the five-year average of 37.