First, we hold in our hearts the people who lost their lives or were injured in the shooting at Bite of Seattle, along with their loved ones and all who are carrying the pain, fear, and anguish that gun violence leaves behind.
Gun violence is not inevitable. It is the consequence of long-standing systemic conditions that have denied too many neighborhoods the opportunity to thrive: disinvestment, limited access to quality education and employment, housing instability, untreated trauma, and policies that have failed to create the vital conditions every community needs to be healthy and safe.
When we talk about the root causes of gun violence, we mean the conditions that make violence more likely to take hold: lack of opportunity, cycles of trauma and retaliation, economic insecurity, social isolation, and the absence of safe, stable, nurturing environments. Addressing gun violence requires more than responding after harm occurs; it requires investing in the people, places, and policies that prevent harm before it happens.
As a society, we must ask ourselves: What conditions must we change together so that every young person, family, and neighborhood has the safety, opportunity, healing, and support needed for violence not to take root in the first place?
We call on the full community to lean in—not by speaking over those closest to the work, but by listening to, uplifting, and rallying behind the organizations and leaders already on the ground. These partners are building trust, interrupting cycles of violence, supporting healing, creating pathways for youth, and advancing community defense from within communities themselves.
We will provide $75,000 in rapid-response funding across our partners leading in the care of our communities in the aftermath of this tragedy, while continuing to advocate for common-sense policies and offering violence-prevention programs for youth.
Our rapid response funding is one way we are moving from statement to action. These resources will support grassroots organizations doing urgent, community-rooted work to improve pathways for young people, strengthen neighborhood safety, and expand supports that address the root causes of violence. In light of the recent announcement of Police Chief Shon Barnes’ resignation, we must also expand the public discourse beyond leadership transitions and crisis response to focus on the community-led strategies, investments, and policies that can prevent violence and strengthen safety from the ground up.
We invite civic leaders, philanthropy, businesses, neighbors, and institutions across the region to tune in to the work these partners are leading, support policies that improve vital conditions for healthy and safe communities, and invest in the community-led solutions that make lasting safety possible. This is a moment to rally behind those already doing the work—and to match their courage and commitment with the resources, attention, and collective action they deserve.
Learn more about how Seattle Foundation works to address layered, systemic issues.
