While mass shootings have occurred much less frequently this year, the number of other non-suicidal gun deaths is expected to be greater than last year. Increased stress, divisions over racial justice and policing, and political tensions are a few of the factors impacting the number of violent shootings.

The Violence Project’s James Densley told reporters Lisa Marie Pane and Kathleen Foody, “You’ve got people who are frustrated, angry, struggling in life and have been at home during this time processing all this and often processing this alone, maybe with the help with the internet. Once the door starts to open, there could well be an uptick in violence.”

Writing on the heels of deadly shootings in five cities across the United States, Pane and Foody discuss the disproportionate effects of gun violence against Black people, struggles in policing, and gun control advocacy. Read their article here.

Originally published by AP News