A decade-long study of the ten largest U.S. cities reveals a troubling decline in shooting-free days, with all but one city experiencing fewer periods without firearm incidents between 2015 and 2024. Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia SURGE introduced new metrics to track these stretches of peace, similar to workplace injury-free day programs.

San Diego consistently led with the most shooting-free days across all metrics, while Chicago ranked last. Jacksonville was the only city showing significant improvement in one metric over time. Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth experienced notable declines across all four shooting-free metrics, indicating decreased progress in preventing firearm violence. The findings remained consistent when adjusted for population size.

The study analyzed data from the Gun Violence Archive, tracking over 7,500 sources including police reports and media outlets. Researchers argue these metrics capture prevention gains and motivate communities by reframing the conversation from the absence of safety to the presence of safety. The approach could provide near real-time evidence of intervention effectiveness at neighborhood or city levels.