The article addresses random violence as a public health issue, and contends that criminal justice approaches fall short of alleviating random violence. The article also discusses the growing number of individuals who become paralyzed through spinal cord injury inflicted during episodes of criminal violence and the costs to the health care system. The article describes community strategies that include the health care approach to violence and claims that perhaps that approach can better alleviate random acts of violence. The article describes different types of spinal cord injuries, the most frequent victims and their varying responses to both the injuries and to rehabilitation, and the costs of treating spinal cord injuries. Suggested public health strategies to prevent random violence include school anti-violence programs, controlling guns, and creating a comprehensive family policy. References