Philadelphia Student Shooting Victimization Rates Dropped
Data from the 2025-2026 school year shows a 70% decrease in gun violence against students since 2021.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Secondary Education
Live Poll
Do you believe local schools are doing enough to protect students from gun violence?
The rate of gun violence victimization for Philadelphia students fell by 70% compared to the 2021-2022 school year. During the 2025-2026 school year, 78 active School District of Philadelphia students were shot.
Why it matters
Understanding where and when these incidents occur helps families evaluate safety logistics for students commuting to and from school. The data highlights disparities in risk across different types of educational settings in Philadelphia.
Traditional and non-cyber charter students experienced a shooting rate of 0.30 per 1,000, while alternative school students faced a rate of 3.79 per 1,000. Additionally, cyber charter students were shot at a rate of 0.81 per 1,000 during the 2025-2026 school year.
The players
School District of Philadelphia
The local public school system that tracks student victimization data to inform safety policies.
The details
Shootings for Philadelphia students occur most frequently on Monday afternoons between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Data indicates that most incidents happen within one mile of a student's school, with the 19121 ZIP code in North Philadelphia identified as the highest concentration area. Higher rates for alternative schools may reflect the enrollment of students with prior juvenile justice involvement, while cyber charter students may lack access to in-person social-emotional support.
Timeline
2021-2022 school year: Baseline year for the reported 70% decrease.
2024-2025 school year: A total of 122 active students were shot.
2025-2026 school year: A total of 230 school-aged youth were shot.
The Home Front
This decline follows long-term trends in school safety data reported by the School District of Philadelphia. The findings align with broader efforts to track student victimization and adjust support services accordingly.
Families should review their students' after-school transit routes, particularly on Monday afternoons between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. If your student attends an alternative or cyber charter school, consider reaching out to administrators to confirm what social-emotional support services are available.
The takeaway
While citywide rates for active students have decreased, the data indicates specific areas of risk for students in North Philadelphia near the 19121 ZIP code. Families are encouraged to track school-specific safety updates and communicate any concerns regarding after-school supervision.
Further reading
For more on how local policies affect student safety, visit Secondary Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Live Poll
Do you believe local schools are doing enough to protect students from gun violence?
