Over the past few weeks, gun violence has become a rising issue in areas around Beaver County. Several shootings have occurred, resulting in injury, death and arrests. These crimes have left many families and people in the community devastated.
On Jan. 12, a family in North Sewickley experienced a tragedy that brought the community together. That evening, an 18-year-old shot his mother, father and 16-year-old brother. The motive for this was unknown, but he ultimately ended his own life before police arrived at the scene. Their relatives were devastated, seeking any sort of help from the community, so they created a GoFundMe. After just 48 hours, the family raised over $28,000, which brought them to over half of what they needed for a funeral. According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, they also received non-monetary donations, like food and supplies to care for the family’s farm animals.
In another incident on Dec. 18, a 16-year-old entered the home of another 16-year-old who attended Beaver Falls High School and shot him in the head, which caused his death in the hospital around an hour later. The teen who died was friends with the shooter, which was a major shock to surrounding family, friends, and the community. The victim’s mother had called the police after her son had come to her bleeding, but the suspect fled the scene, not being apprehended until around five days later, in Ellwood City. On Jan. 15, the police announced that seven people were arrested for the reason of stopping apprehension. They were believed to have harbored the suspect.
The family held a candlelight vigil for anyone who wished to visit and pay their respects to the victim. They also started a GoFundMe, and they reached their goal in order to hold a funeral. Many also arrived at the funeral of the young boy, showing how much the family, friends, and the community cherished the teen. The loss was sickening to think about for many.
Not only is gun violence amongst young teens taking place but between adults as well. Just before New Year’s Eve, the police were called after the discovery of a man who had been shot and left in an empty building in Beaver Falls. He was discovered when a woman called the police in order to report her car as stolen from the same man, who she said borrowed it and never returned it. After finding the car, she found the man along with it, with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. The suspect was arrested on Jan. 9 in Fayette county.
Gun violence has increased drastically in the state of Pennsylvania, as in 2023 there were 417 more gun-related deaths than there were in 2014. According to EveryStat, gun deaths cost Pennsylvania a large amount every year, totaling at around $21.7 billion every year.