Reports show that despite overall gun violence decreasing, the rate of juvenile King County shooting victims has doubled compared to 2019.
According to an update from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) on the Safer Schools Strategy, in addition to increased gun violence against juvenile victims, class A and class B felonies among juveniles rose between 2022 and 2024 in King County.
The number of youth shooting victims in 2024 represented 15% of total shooting victims, compared to 9% in 2023. The data shows that the number of youth shooting victims in 2024 was 61, doubling from 2019. Additionally, the youth shooting victims in 2024 rose by 45% compared to 2023.
According to the KCPAO, of the total number of shooting victims in 2024 under age 18, 65% were shot in areas outside of Seattle in King County, while 35% were shot in Seattle. For adults, 47% of people were shot outside of Seattle, and 53% were shot in Seattle.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion launched the Safer Schools Strategy in 2024, partly to address these trends. According to the KCPAO, attendance can be a good indicator of youth being at risk of involvement with dangerous behavior.
The KCPAO stated that a recent Safer Schools Strategy analysis showed that 85% of youth charged with unlawful firearm possession had disrupted school attendance. Disrupted school attendance means that the student enrolled after the school year began, withdrew before the end of the school year, and/or enrolled in multiple schools or districts during the year.
According to the KCPAO, some of the actions it’s taking to address the trend of rising youth gun violence are increasing communication between court schools and juvenile probation, with an emphasis on school attendance, early intervention, and strengthened coordination with law enforcement to advise on investigations and search warrants.
Some actions that districts and schools are taking, for example, include a collaboration meeting with Federal Way student resource officers, and continued participation on the Auburn School District Threat Assessment Team, the KCPAO stated.
Additionally, the KCPAO reports its Safer Schools Strategy is working to improve threat assessment programs in schools by notifying schools when a student is facing a felony firearm charge. According to the KCPAO, it has sent 200 notifications to schools over the last two years regarding students with pending felony firearm cases. The office added this function to its program without additional funding by dedicating a prosecutor to this work.
“While overall gun violence is going down in King County, the number of school-aged shooting victims has doubled since 2019. That’s unacceptable,” Manion said. “That’s why we launched the Safer Schools Strategy in 2024: to improve how schools respond to threats before violence happens. Because we know that when students feel safe and connected, they’re more likely to stay in school — and away from violence.”
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