Shootings in South Bend generated headlines over the final months of 2023, but overall the city saw one of its least violent years in recent memory.
According to statistics from the South Bend Police Department, 82 people were shot and 20 were killed in criminal shootings last year. Despite a series of shootings in December, that’s the fewest number of people who have been shot in South Bend in the past few years by far and a third fewer than the 124 people who were shot in 2022.
Mayor James Mueller said the numbers are a positive sign, but that there’s more work to be done.
“Obviously we’re not declaring victory. They're higher than they need to be,” said Mueller. “We need to continue to drive those down. Nevertheless, we’re on the right path here.”
The significant decrease of shootings comes despite a noticeable uptick at the end of the year. Of the 82 reported incidents, 27 occurred from October through December. The summer months usually see the highest rates of gun violence and police haven’t pointed to any particular factor in the uptick in shootings near the end of the year.
Police statistics also point to a higher percentage of shootings in 2023 involving groups or gangs than years past. Over the past four years, 59% of shootings reported in South Bend have involved someone connected to a gang, either as the victim or the perpetrator. In 2023, that number was 72%, which officials said could be a product of more detectives available who are able to confirm more information about each shooting. Officials also said it's possible that number suggests that the shootings that decreased the most in 2023 from 2022, were those not involving groups or gangs.
“I know what it seems like, we get a shooting and we go ahead and get the bad guy and that’s the end of it. That is certainly not the end," said South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski. "We still look through root causes, all the back channels that led to that and hopefully, the prevention of a future one.”
Officials on Tuesday, as they have in past months, pointed to the increased staffing of the department as a main cause for the drop in shootings. Lt. Kayla Miller, who oversees the Michiana Crime Stoppers, also pointed to an increase in anonymous tips to the service in 2023 as an indicator some in the community are more willing to come forward than in years past.
Criminally assaulted shootings do not include accidental shootings, suicides or shootings ruled justified.
2023: 82 people shot, 20 fatal
2022: 124 people shot, 25 fatal
2021: 121 people shot, 19 fatal
2020: 133 people shot, 23 fatal
2019: 109 people shot, 11 fatal
