What to Know Today
Lawmakers won’t impeach Philly DA Larry Krasner — yet. A Pennsylvania House committee seeking grounds to remove Krasner from office released a report on Monday that took aim at his administration and record, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, but did not suggest that lawmakers hold an impeachment vote against him. The committee could still recommend impeachment before the end of the legislative session. The report noted that prosecutions, including those for gun crimes, have been withdrawn and dismissed at a higher rate under Krasner than in years past, and linked his policies to the increase in shootings and homicides over the past few years. The committee’s report partially relied on a widely criticized study by a former tough-on-crime prosecutor in southeastern Pennsylvania, who claimed that Krasner’s style of “de-prosecution” has led to increased homicides; experts in criminology, sociology, and economic policy have questioned the study for apparent methodological and factual errors. Prosecuting police: Krasner and his supporters believe that the GOP-led impeachment effort was fueled in part by his charging of police, The Trace’s Mensah M. Dean writes.
The St. Louis high school gunman came armed with AR-15-style rifle and 600 rounds of ammunition. A 19-year-old alumnus of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School killed a student and a teacher, and injured several others, at his former school on Monday morning. According to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the shooter came armed with a semiautomatic rifle, more than a dozen high-capacity magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Police shot and killed the gunman 14 minutes after they received the first call about an active shooter.
As Republicans campaign on crime, racist attack ads become a key tool in their arsenal. Addressing gun violence and policing has become a major locus of contention between Democrats and the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections. Across the country, The New York Times reports, Republicans are injecting racist attack lines, words, and imagery into their contests, labeling Black candidates as “dangerous” and “different,” among other fear tactics. Appealing to white fears and resentments, though a strategy long baked into American campaigning, has ostensibly become less acceptable in the last few decades. But as Trumpism and extremism take over the GOP, Republicans now appear more openly defiant when confronted for using racist invective.
Chicago sees a mass shooting, at least 12 armed robberies over deadly weekend. Five people were shot, killing three and critically injuring two, when a gunman opened fire during a 100-vehicle “car caravan” — in which cars block intersections and do burnouts — in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood early Sunday morning, Block Club Chicago reports. In the nearby neighborhood of Humboldt Park, at least 12 armed robberies took place between 2:15 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Last weekend was one of the city’s deadliest of the year, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Healing Chicago: In communities reeling from gun violence, Black women are doing caregiving work that is often unpaid, undervalued, and hidden from public view. Earlier this month, The Trace’s Justin Agrelo shined a light on a patchwork of woman-led care serving Chicago communities where shootings are common.
Man who sold pistol to Congregation Beth Israel hostage-taker sentenced to eight years in prison. Henry “Michael” Dwight Williams, 33, pleaded guilty in June to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Williams sold a semiautomatic pistol to a man who then used it to take a rabbi and three others hostage at Congregation Beth Israel, a synagogue in a Dallas suburb, in January. The gunman was killed by law enforcement after several hours. Williams had previously been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted possession of a controlled substance.
We’re hiring! Apply to The Trace’s new editing fellowship. We’re launching a two-year fellowship for early- to mid-career journalists looking to establish themselves as editors. You don’t need to have editing experience to apply, but we do ask that you have an eagerness to collaborate and an aptitude for thoughtful journalism. The salary range is $60,000 to $80,000. Applications are open through October 31. Find more details here.
Data Point
90 percent — the increase in the number of firearm injuries treated in Oregon emergency rooms from 2019 to 2021. Researchers found that the most common reason people visiting the ER who were shot was because of an accidental shooting. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]
