ROANOKE, Va. – Despite a significant decrease in gun-related homicides, Roanoke remains among Virginia’s most affected cities by gun violence, ranking sixth highest in the state for homicide rates, according to a new report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.
The city has seen a 28% reduction in gun-related homicides, outpacing Virginia’s overall 22% decrease statewide. However, Roanoke’s five-year average of 17.7 homicides annually keeps it among the state’s most impacted communities.
“When life is lost to senseless tragedy, in my opinion, there’s not many things that are sadder than that,” Roanoke City Councilman Phazhon Nash said.
Recent data from the Roanoke Police Department shows improvement, with 20 fewer homicides in the past two years combined compared to 2022 and 2023. Despite this progress, Roanoke is one of nine cities responsible for more than half of Virginia’s gun-related homicides.
Petersburg, Portsmouth, and Richmond lead the state in gun-related homicides since 2020, with Roanoke ranking sixth and Danville ninth.
Nash credits the reduction to local law enforcement and community programs but emphasizes the importance of sustainable funding. “We have to continue to keep a lot of the various programs and initiatives that we have started,” Nash said. “We have to keep them funded. If grants do not continue to flow in to support these various programs, we have the final way to make it work within our budget.”
Some residents, like Jake Gomez, who grew up in the city, maintain a positive outlook. “I’ve never been too afraid of gun violence growing up here,” Gomez said. “There’s been incidents I remember at the mall and the Salem fair from time to time. It’s never felt like a huge thing in Roanoke.”
The city is implementing new measures to address ongoing concerns. Last week, Roanoke unveiled a new crime center equipped with advanced technology, including gunshot detection capabilities scheduled for deployment next year.
However, challenges remain. The city’s police vacancy rate is currently double the state average, prompting Nash to prioritize officer recruitment and retention.
“We have to control all of the variables that we can control,” Nash said. “So making sure we’re going after the various social determinants, making sure that we’re helping to alleviate things like risky behaviors we see in our youth.”
Organizations working on gun violence prevention in the region include the City of Roanoke’s Gun Violence Task Force, the City’s Gun Violence Prevention Commission and Ceasefire Danville.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League and the Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club, which is affiliated with the NRA, did not respond to requests for comment.