At the time of its inception, the level of murders and shootings had regularly increased each year, with Richmond's murder-per-capita rates being one of the highest five for the country.
Half of the victims had no prior criminal record and many were innocent bystanders, the result of drug dealers' poor marksmanship and wild shooting at targets of opportunity.
[2] In 1997, the program was implemented in conjunction with an extensive public outreach and media campaign to educate citizens about lengthy federal prison sentences for gun crimes and to maximize deterrence.
[4] President George W. Bush made the program a part of his Project Safe Neighborhoods crime-prevention plan, which included increased funding for U.S. attorneys to prosecute gun crime.
[4] The NRA lobbied the U.S. Congress to help secure $2.3 million for emulation of Exile in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden County, New Jersey, where similar firearms-related violence has plagued the communities.
[6] A "Project Exile Condemnation Petition" was launched by Brian Puckett of GunTruths.com,[7] Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America,[7][8] Angel Shamaya of KeepAndBearArms.com,[7] and former NRA director Russ Howard.
[7] Other opponents who were members of this anti-Exile coalition included Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership,[7] the Law Enforcement Alliance of America,[7] Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne,[7] and science fiction writer L. Neil Smith.