CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WMOT) -- Chattanooga Police say social media and the easy availability of guns are
partially responsible for the recent spike in the number of murders in the city.
The Times Free Press reports there were 132 shootings there in 2015 and 32 murders – the most seen since 2001. Much of the violence centers on local gangs, with 61 percent of the murders being gang related.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher says gang disputes that used to take days or weeks to ratchet up to violence are being pushed to the boiling point in minutes by social media.
He also says his department is confiscating a lot more illegal guns.