Browsing by Author "Tolliver, Savannah"

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    Identifying overlaps and disconnects between media reports and official records of nonfatal firearm injuries in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2021 – 2022
    (Elsevier, 2024) Magee, Lauren A.; Ortiz, Damaris; Macy, Jonathan T.; Tolliver, Savannah; Alverez-Del-Pino, Jara; Kaur, Amarpreet; Spivey, Erin; Grommon, Eric; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Objective: Open-source data systems, largely drawn from media sources, are commonly used by scholars due to the lack of a comprehensive national data system. It is unclear if these data provide an accurate and complete representation of firearm injuries and their context. The study objectives were to compare firearm injuries in official police records with media reports to better identify the characteristics associated with media reporting. Methods: Firearm injuries were identified in open-source media reports and compared to nonfatal firearm injury (n = 1642) data from official police records between January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Events were matched on date, location, and event circumstances. Four multivariate, multi-level mixed effects logistic regression models were conducted to assess which survivor, event, and community characteristics were associated with media reporting. Data were analyzed 2023 - January 2024. Results: Media reported 41% of nonfatal shootings in 2021 and 45% in 2022(p < 0.05), which is approximately two out of every five shootings. Shootings involving multiple survivors, children, and self-defense were more likely to be reported, whereas unintentional shootings and shootings that occurred in structurally disadvantaged communities were less likely to be reported. Conclusions: Findings suggest that relying on media reports of firearm injuries alone may misrepresent the numbers and contexts of shootings. Public health interventions that educate journalists about these important issues may be an impactful firearm violence prevention strategy. Also, it is critical to link data systems at the local level to ensure interventions are designed and evaluated using accurate data.
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    Public Safety Walks at Lake Castleton Apartments July 2023 Indianapolis, Indiana.
    (2023-07-31) Tolliver, Savannah; Grommon, Eric; Spivey, Erin; Crawford, Jara; Kaur, Amarpreet; Magee, Lauren
    BACKGROUND Public safety walks are one of many available strategies used to reduce gun violence. Walks are a standalone approach or they are included as a part of broader justice and community-based interventions OBJECTIVE Examine media reported gun violence trends at Lake Castleton Apartments and within a one-block radius of the complex before, during, and after public safety walks. Public safety walks started October 2021 and then stopped April 2023 near the apartment complex. These start and stop dates create periods to explore gun violence patterns. KEY FINDINGS Between January 2020 and June 2023, the media reported nine shootings involving 10 victims within a one-block radius of the apartment complex. There were no statistically dependable differences in total media reported shooting incidents after public safety walks began. Fatal shooting and total shooting incidents trended downward, while there was an uptick in non-fatal shooting incidents after walks began. The media reported patterns observed before and during public safety walks at the apartment complex mirror citywide trends. Meaning, the rates of change found at the apartment complex are no more or less different from those expected from citywide changes over time. To date, there are only three months of records available since public safety walks stopped at the apartment complex. Comparing April, May, and June media reports between 2020 and 2023, shooting incidents trended upward after walks stopped. At first glance, the rate of change at the apartment complex is greater than citywide patterns. However, once we account for pre-existing differences between Lake Castleton and citywide shooting incidents, the rate of increase found at the apartment complex is similar to the citywide increases during the same period.