Philadelphia Student Shooting Victimization Rates Declined
Data from the 2025-2026 school year shows a 70% decrease in gun violence victimization since the 2021-2022 period.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Philadelphia school district data indicates that gun violence victimization rates for active students fell 70% compared to the 2021-2022 school year. Despite this improvement, 230 school-aged youth were shot during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Why it matters
Understanding the disparity between student populations is essential for addressing safety, as cyber charter and alternative school students face higher risks of victimization. Geographic and time-based patterns suggest that concentrated support during after-school hours is critical for prevention.
During the 2025-2026 school year, alternative school students faced a shooting rate of 3.79 per 1,000, while cyber charter students saw a rate of 0.81 per 1,000. Traditional and non-cyber charter students experienced a significantly lower rate of 0.30 per 1,000.
The players
School District of Philadelphia
This is the governing body responsible for providing public education to students within the city of Philadelphia.
The details
Most incidents involving Philadelphia students occurred in the 19121 ZIP code of North Philadelphia, typically within one mile of a student's school. Data shows that shootings happen most frequently on Monday afternoons between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Timeline
2021-2022 school year marked the baseline for the 70% decrease in student shooting victimization.
2024-2025 school year saw 122 active School District of Philadelphia students shot.
2025-2026 school year recorded 230 school-aged youth victimizations.
Culture Shift
The district's focus on granular student safety data reflects a broader shift toward data-driven intervention in urban school systems. This trend highlights the move from generalized safety programs toward specialized support for vulnerable student populations.
Families in the 19121 ZIP code should be aware that the highest concentration of incidents occurs within one mile of schools on Monday afternoons. Residents and students can utilize this data to plan safer transit routes and schedules during after-school hours.
The takeaway
The data suggests that students enrolled in alternative schools and cyber charters require enhanced access to in-person social-emotional support to improve safety outcomes. Implementing targeted outreach during the high-risk window of 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays could further reduce victimization rates.
Further reading
Explore more trends in Secondary Education in the Philadelphia area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
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