Study finds gun assault rates doubled for children in 4 major cities during pandemic

Children play outside in Kensington, a neighborhood in Philadelphia known for open-air drug markets and gun violence. Last year, due to safety concerns, the Philadelphia Police Department downsized its outdoor summer play program. (Sam Searles/WHYY News)

Rates of gun assaults on children roughly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study that looked at gun deaths and injuries in four major cities. Black children were the most frequent victims.

The analysis from Boston University included a review of gun assaults between March 2020 and December 2021 in Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York.