LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington recorded its lowest number of shootings in nearly a decade in 2025, with gun violence dropping 60% since 2021, according to the ONE Lexington year-end report released this week.
The city reported 50 shootings in 2025, compared to a four-year average of 104 shootings. Gun-related homicides also decreased to 19 in 2025, down from the four-year average of 29.
"We saw the lowest number of African American and overall shooting victims in Lexington in over a decade," a year end data report from ONE Lexington read.
The statistics show 69 residents were injured or killed by gunfire in 2025, significantly lower than the four-year average of 103 residents affected by gun violence, the organization reported.
Among youth and young adults ages 10-29, the target demographic for ONE Lexington's programs, the improvements were equally striking. The city recorded 32 shootings involving this age group in 2025, down from a four-year average of 69 shootings, according to ONE Lexington.
ONE Lexington attributes the decline to its comprehensive "All Hearts on Deck" strategy, which focuses on prevention, intervention, enforcement and re-entry using a public health approach to violence prevention.
The initiative invested $767,341 in 2025 across multiple programs, including $203,024 in crisis response support for gun violence survivors, $280,000 in scholarships for students pursuing careers in violence prevention fields, and over $150,000 in grants to grassroots organizations.
"Gun violence in Lexington impacts all of us, but the reality is that it disproportionately involves young black men, on both sides of the gun," Carama said. "We must address the disparities and inequities in those communities, including limited access to affordable, high-quality health care, employment opportunities, food insecurity and quality education."
The organization's "It Takes a Village" programs reached 5,635 youth and young adults through school mentoring, summer programming and tutoring services across 25 Fayette County Public Schools.
ONE Lexington also responded to 93 crisis situations in 2025, deploying trained crisis response advocates to support individuals and families affected by gun violence while working to prevent retaliatory violence.
The initiative plans to continue expanding its survivor support services and community partnerships as it implements its updated strategic plan for 2025-2028.
