Gun deaths in the U.S. reached all-time highs amid the pandemic, and firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens. While more cities are investing federal dollars in programs to curtail shootings, a new report finds many are failing to address the root causes of gun violence. Community Justice Action Fund, a nonprofit led by people of color, compiled what it calls a "first-of-its kind" index and scorecard to assess how cities allocate funding to gun violence prevention programs. The report focused on the 50 U.S. cities with the highest rates of shootings. Why does this matter? The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act and 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act secured $300 million for community violence prevention and intervention programs, and, in late July, Biden also announced his "Safer America Plan" would contribute $5 billion more to such interventions over 10 years. The report found most programs do not prioritize communities that experience the highest levels of violence. Among its findings: Just 10% of the cities funded organizations that provide long-term trauma-informed behavioral and mental health care for people most at risk of violence. About a quarter of the cities invested in workforce development programs for people known to be at high risk for engaging in or experiencing violence. Swipe to read about where the taxpayer dollars are going, and click our link in bio for more about the report.