Even in a city that has long been plagued by violence, the epidemic of gun crime has hit a level unmatched in recent memory — a pace that began last summer and has persisted since.

A surge in new gun owners and a spike in gun thefts from cars are contributing to the city's gun violence crisis, police and experts say.

Experts in violence prevention say Philadelphia’s strategy should be more targeted and focused on areas with the most need.

In 8,500 shootings since 2015, suspects have been charged and convicted just 9% of the time.

In part 4 of a series about gunshot survivors, Amanda Lyons describes how every part of her life has changed since she was struck in the back by a stray bullet six months ago.

Keeping school buildings open at night and on weekends was one strategy suggested as a way to battle gun violence.

A report by the Brady gun-control group traced thousands of guns from criminal investigations to a handful of gun shops in the Philadelphia area.

Councilmembers also grilled police brass on what the department is doing to improve slow 911 response times.

All said they’d back expanding background checks, limiting high-capacity magazines, and making it harder for people who are legally deemed dangerous to obtain guns.

"You can tell by kids’ inability to focus, concentrate, just look at their behaviors: They’re numb, disconnected, sometimes they don’t want to do work," school counselor Paula Crawford said.