The Connecticut Department of Public Health is funding 33 organizations statewide to prevent gun violence. The goal is to identify root causes of gun violence, build trust with the community and intervene before violence occurs. “Gun violence is a public health crisis, and addressing it requires the same coordinated, community-driven approach we use for any public health threat,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said in a statement. Connecticut had the sixth lowest gun death rate in the country in 2023 according to data from Johns Hopkins University . Overall, the gun death rate increased by 24% from 2014 to 2023.