Gun violence continues to devastate communities across the U.S., causing tragic loss of life, numerous injuries, and lasting psychological trauma. Its impact goes beyond the immediate human toll, placing heavy economic burdens on healthcare, straining law enforcement, eroding social cohesion, and undermining education in high-violence areas. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies that include legislation, community support, and preventative interventions. In an effort to tackle this crisis, Drs. Mengxue Li from International GEO Center and Ruibo Han from the Center for Geospatial Information Science have recently secured pilot research funding from the University of Maryland’s PROGRESS (Prevent Gun Violence: Research, Empowerment, Strategies, and Solutions) initiative. Their project will use GeoAI (Geospatial Artificial Intelligence) to create data-driven and community-based solutions for reducing gun violence. The team plans to develop a unified gun violence data platform to analyze patterns, trends, and socio-economic factors, build GeoAI-based spatial models to guide prevention and policy strategies, and release Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) apps to increase awareness, foster community dialogue, and support local violence intervention efforts. As gun violence remains a critical national issue, initiatives like this provide hope by combining advanced technology and community engagement to drive meaningful change.

UMD Researchers Harness GeoAI to Combat Gun Violence