January-March 2024 Quarterly Armed Violence Monitor: Weapon Seizures Remain Prominent Despite a Drop in Overall Cases Involving Firearms
SEESAC has released its latest Quarterly Regional Armed Violence Monitor, offering insights into the trends of firearm incidents in South East Europe from January to March 2024.
The first quarter of 2024 documented 842 firearm incidents in South East Europe (SEE), marking a 3% drop from the last quarter of 2023.
With 430 cases, weapon seizures were the most reported type of incident, continuing to account for 51% of all incidents, as was also observed in the October-December 2023 quarter. Despite a 3% reduction from the previous quarter, this represents a 17% increase from the same period in 2023.
Within the criminal context, there were a total of 148 incidents, showing a 3% increase compared to the previous quarter. Among these incidents, there were 57 cases associated with organized crime and 45 armed robberies.
The report also highlights 79 public disputes that escalated into the use of firearms, indicating a 5% decline from the October-December 2023 period. Additionally, there is a 7% decrease in undetermined shootings, with 75 cases recorded.
The Quarterly Monitor continues to underscore the severe consequences of firearm incidents, reporting 23 people killed, 106 injured, and 109 threatened. It is worth noting that the number of fatalities caused by the use of firearms decreased by 21% from the previous quarter, while the number of injured people remained the same. The number of people threatened with firearms increased by 14%. In addition, 13 people died in firearm suicides.
Men account for 98% of all perpetrators among those whose sex was reported.
To learn more details on the reported incidents, download the report here.
More data on firearms incidents in South East Europe is available on the Armed Violence Monitoring Platform.
About the Armed Violence Monitoring Platform (AVMP)
The AVMP monitors firearms-related incidents happening in South East Europe. Established in 2014, it collects detailed data from media reports and reports of public institutions where available, covering the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova.
The collected data ranges from the type of incident, firearms used, age and gender of the victim and the perpetrator, outcome of the incident, etc.
The AVMP aims to make essential data available to all interested parties and serve as an informative tool for interventions with the overarching goal of a more effective arms control framework and reducing their negative impact on civilians.
The AVMP is supported with funding from the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111 to support SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe, reducing the threat of illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition.