NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Ahead of a holiday that's seen deadly shootings in Nashville in years past, Metro police are seeing a drop in gun violence.

According to new MNPD Crime and Initiative data, gunshot victims are down from 220 this time last year to 148 so far in 2025.

The most significant decline was among young adults aged 18 to 24, down by 41 cases.

The second age group to see a drop was teens between 13 and 17 years old.

"I hope it's true; I would like to believe that it is true," Tennessee Voices for Victims co-founder Verna Wyatt said. "It is shocking to me because every night, whether you are listening to the news or whether you are reading the paper, you are seeing someone who has been victimized by gun violence or other means of attack."

Last Fourth of July, two people were injured by celebratory gunfire in downtown Nashville.

In 2023, four separate shootings left three dead including a teenager.

"It's a constant prayer that the numbers will go down because when you think about one death, there are so many people impacted by the one death," Wyatt explained.

For Wyatt, the fight against violence became deeply personal after the kidnapping, rape and murder of her sister-in-law and best friend 30 years ago.

"Once that happens, you see that pain everywhere, and it is something you never want anyone to experience," Wyatt said.

The data also shows that robberies are down 23%, and aggravated assaults saw a 6% drop compared to this time last year.

Wyatt told News 2 that while the declining numbers may be encouraging, they come at a cost and are only possible because of relentless police work.

"They are the ones who are out protecting and preventing crime, and they are the ones that are putting their life out on the line every single day," Wyatt expressed. "So I give thanks to the police department."

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/metro-police-report-32-drop-in-gunshot-victims-in-nashville-this-year-compared-to-2024/