As communities across Atlantic County continue grappling with the effects of gun violence, local leaders, advocates and families affected by shootings are working to raise awareness and encourage prevention efforts.
Tony Davenport, a former Pleasantville councilman, school board member and recent mayoral candidate, recently dedicated an episode of his radio program, “Community Engagement,” to the issue.
The show featured Jimmy Blake, who survived multiple gunshot wounds in 2013, along with family members of victims, faith leaders and community advocates discussing the lasting impact of gun violence.
The discussion included a mother mourning the loss of her 15-year-old son, who was killed seven months earlier, as well as another mother whose son was killed 15 years ago and who called in to join the discussion.
“Usually our show is an hour — we try to keep it at an hour, but [this episode] was almost two hours long. It was pretty powerful, especially when you see a mother crying over the loss of a child,” Davenport said.
Davenport said his concern about gun violence is shaped by personal experience. He said his nephew was shot and killed in Atlantic City years ago, and has also experienced the loss of his own son to cancer.
According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, violent crime has declined significantly in recent years. In a March report, the office announced that 2025 was the safest year on record in Atlantic County and that early 2026 data suggested the county was on pace to continue that trend.
“The data confirms what we know to be true: when the law is enforced consistently and people are held accountable for their actions, crime is reduced,” Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said in a statement released by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Despite overall reductions in crime, recent incidents have kept concerns about gun violence in the public spotlight.
On June 2, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced it was investigating a fatal police-involved shooting in Atlantic City that left two officers wounded and one civilian dead.
The officer who suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound to his upper leg was identified as Sgt. Christian Ivanov. The second officer was protected from a gunshot wound to the head by his ballistic helmet. Both officers are members of the city’s SWAT team.
A GoFundMe campaign was established to help cover Ivanov’s medical expenses, travel costs, childcare needs, household expenses and other unforeseen challenges associated with his recovery. As of Wednesday evening, $233,890 of the campaign’s $300,000 goal had been raised.
Ivanov underwent emergency surgery and remains in the intensive care unit at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, where he is recovering. The second SWAT officer is recuperating at home.
A subsequent release identified the deceased as Donald Gardner, also known as Donald Capriotti, 52, of Atlantic City, and the officer who fired the fatal shots as Atlantic City Police Officer Robert Reynolds. The investigation remains ongoing, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers police officers face every time they put on the uniform and walk out the door to serve and protect their communities,” Albert Floriani, Atlantic City PBA Local 24 president said.
Hours later, just before midnight, a 16-year-old Atlantic City girl was critically injured in a shooting on the 600 block of New York Avenue.
Emergency responders treated her at the scene before transporting her to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for further medical care. Officials believe she is expected to survive.
Detectives continue to investigate the incident and are working to identify those responsible.
At the state level, officials are also expanding efforts to prevent gun violence before tragedies occur. In May, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced a statewide public awareness campaign focused on New Jersey’s Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO) law, sometimes referred to as a “red flag” law.
“ERPOs are a proven tool for preventing tragedies. We’re committed to using all tools at our disposal to end gun violence in New Jersey,” Attorney General Davenport said in a statement.
The law allows family members, household members and law enforcement officers to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed at risk of harming themselves or others.
For Davenport, community education is equally important. He said he is currently working with school officials and community members to organize a gun violence seminar for local students before the school year ends.
Davenport believes many young people do not fully understand the widespread impact shootings have on families and communities.
“It actually tears it apart,” he said. “These kids think that it just stops with the shooter and the victim, but it doesn’t.”
He said the effects extend far beyond those directly involved, impacting parents, siblings, first responders, police officers and entire neighborhoods.
Davenport pointed to previous incidents involving young victims and said shootings often create cycles of retaliation and trauma.
“It can snowball into a lot of violence. They think that it stops right there, but it doesn’t,” he said.
As summer approaches, Davenport said community leaders are hoping to address the issue proactively. He said partnerships among community organizations, schools, faith leaders and residents will be essential moving forward.
“We want to make sure that we curtail this before it gets out of hand this summer,” he said. “If we don’t, we’re going to continue to lose our children.”
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
