Baltimore Mayor To Join White House Gun Violence Summit Wednesday

BALTIMORE, MD — Leaders from around the country, including Baltimore, will convene at the White House Wednesday to address the surge in gun violence.

President Joe Biden is hosting a discussion that Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described as an "important and timely discussion on gun violence."

Baltimore has had 160 homicides as of 7:30 a.m. Monday, according to police. At the same time one year ago — June 21, 2020 — there had been 151 homicides in the city, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

In 2021 there had been 328 nonfatal shootings as of Monday, police said, an increase of 50 at the same time last year.

At Wednesday's gun violence discussion with the president, Scott will join mayors from South Dakota and Florida plus law enforcement and prosecutors, according to the Associated Press.

Looking forward to joining @POTUS for this important and timely discussion on gun violence. https://t.co/R5Aojjj3ws
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) June 22, 2021

Biden is expected to issue executive orders to curb gun violence Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

"There’s been … an increase in violent crime over the last 18 months," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday at a news conference. "There are major cities across the country where gun violence is absolutely the driver, where it is absolutely increasing. And that will be a central part of what he’ll talk about when he delivers his remarks tomorrow."