Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, at least 18 children and two teachers were killed by a gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. It is tragic yet devastatingly predictable that easy access to guns has robbed innocent, sacred lives once again. This is the result of spineless leaders who have all the power yet none of the will to safeguard even the most defenseless souls among us. Instead, leaders such as Gov. Greg Abbott (R) have rolled back commonsense gun safety measures such as requiring a permit or background check in order to purchase a firearm. Combined with high rates of gun ownership, it is sadly unsurprising that the state has some of the highest rates of gun violence in the country. But it does not have to be this way.
A new report released today by the Center for American Progress and Texas Gun Sense outlines six steps that counties and cities can take to address gun violence in the absence of state or federal legislative action.
“Today, we are stunned and heartsick as this uniquely American crisis has once again played out in our home state. For years, we have fought for change at the Texas legislature, but our pleas have been ignored,” said Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense and co-author of the report. “Action is more urgent than ever. In honor of the Uvalde community and all communities who suffer from senseless gun violence, we will continue to be a leading voice for sensible gun laws at the state legislature while also advancing meaningful change at the community level. We know that through policy change, education, and partnerships across the state, we can prevent gun deaths in communities most affected by gun violence and protect all Texas families.”
The report offers several community-led initiatives that counties and cities can implement to help address the state’s gun violence crisis, including:
- Address gun violence with racial equity and trauma-informed solutions.
- Improve data collection and reporting on gun violence.
- Protect and support survivors of domestic violence.
- Partner with schools and school boards by facilitating conversations around gun violence and safe storage education.
- Create offices of violence prevention to lead on violence-reduction strategies.
- Provide and promote guidance for safe storage of firearms in the home.
- Provide facilities where veterans and others in crisis can temporarily store their firearms in moments of crisis.
“Gun violence is not inevitable, and elementary schoolers should not have to die in senseless acts of gun violence in order to spur action from the leaders charged with protecting them,” said Marissa Edmund, senior policy analyst for Gun Violence Prevention at CAP and co-author of the report.
Read the report: “What Counties and Cities Can Do To Curb Gun Violence in Texas” by Marissa Edmund and Alex Barrio of CAP and Nicole Golden of Texas Gun Sense
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Tricia Woodcome at [email protected].