TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Since the attack on Gabby Giffords, while it remains the most prominent in Tucson, other serious shootings have since taken place.
Most recently, the two Goodwill employees were shot the day after Christmas.
One of the victims passed away just days ago from his injuries on New Year’s Day.
And you may remember in 2022, a student opened fire at the University of Arizona, killing Thomas Meixner, a professor of atmospheric sciences. The shooter is now serving life in prison.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero is often asked what is being done to prevent these tragedies from happening in the city we all call home.
“It seems as though this country is stuck in a cycle of gun violence,” Romero told KGUN9.
Romero took office in 2019. Since then, she has established programs to curb crime. The one she is most proud of, she says, is the VIVA program.
It is a violence interruption program that includes these locations:
- Fort Lowell Corridor
- Grant and Alvernon
- 22nd and Prudence
- Bilby and Campbell
Romero said these areas are seeing a difference.
“When we first started it as a pilot, we chose three sites, and those sites saw 85%, 88%, 86% gun violence reduction,” Romero said. “It really is a holistic way of getting to the root of the problem of violence and gun violence in our community.”
The city recently created a position to dedicate a person to run programs like VIVA, with a goal to target more parts of the city. Romero said these programs are using data from 911 calls as a guide.
“We go to pinpoint areas in our city where there are high gun violence and high crime, and we target and work with businesses, nonprofit organizations in the area, neighbors in the area to really do prevention work,” Romero said.
Romero is pleased with the current outcomes.
“We’re seeing good and promising results, but the city of Tucson can’t do it alone,” Romero said.
