The Latest: Addressing Misinformation and the Link Between Domestic Violence and Gun Violence

In this latest update from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions: 

Join Us: June 1st Webinar on Alcohol Misuse and Gun Violence

With support from the Joyce Foundation, the Center just released a new report offering policy recommendations to address alcohol misuse as a risk factor for gun violence. The report’s recommendations were developed with the steering committee of the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy, a group of leading experts that advances evidence-based gun violence prevention policies. The Consortium is led by the Center’s co-director, Josh Horwitz. The Center’s Silvia Villarreal is the managing director of the Consortium and led the development of the report. Among the findings, the report noted that an estimated one in three individuals who committed homicide with a firearm had been heavily drinking when they murdered their victims.

Registration is now open for a webinar, to take place on June 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET, where panelists will analyze the findings and the policy recommendations for states to enact.

Register Here

Lisa Geller Writes in Health Affairs on Link Between Domestic Violence and Gun Violence

In a piece co-written with Sandra Shanahan and David Martin from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Center’s Lisa Geller wrote in Health Affairs about the deadly connection between domestic violence and gun violence. Geller cites data showing nearly one in four women and one in seven men experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and notes that most U.S. mass shootings are connected to domestic violence. She then argues for solutions – including removing guns from abusers using policies such as Extreme Risk Protection Orders – and for the importance of additional research.

Read the Full Article, Titled “It’s Time to Take Seriously the Connection Between Domestic Violence and Gun Violence”

Amicus Brief Urges Supreme Court to Prevent Domestic Abusers from Accessing Firearms

Center staff and faculty, led by Josh Horwitz, Kelly Roskam and Tim Carey, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of its decision to hear arguments in U.S. v. Rahimi. In the brief, public health and legal experts from across the country urged the Court to take up the case to uphold the federal law that prohibits persons subject to domestic violence protective orders from possessing firearms. Citing extensive historical and public health research, they argue that the law is a critical and constitutional tool to preventing gun violence.

Read the Full Amicus Brief

Bloomberg School’s Social Media Campaign Fact-Checks Misinformation on Gun Violence

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Center, addressed common myths relating to background checks, safe storage of firearms, and the general public’s view on gun safety measures in a series of graphics on its social media platforms.

The facts the Bloomberg School cited include:

• Research shows that strengthening background check systems reduces the diversion of guns into illegal markets for use in crime.
• Safe, secure storage of firearms and ammunition is essential for everyone.
• Between 2014 and 2019, approximately 60% of mass shooters killed a family member or intimate partner in the same incident as the mass shooting.
• There is broad support among Americans for a range of gun policies that have proven to save lives. This includes support for licensing laws, universal background checks, secure storage, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

Check out the Twitter Post

Center Researchers Testify on Gun Safety in Michigan and Delaware

With critical gun safety efforts frequently unfolding on the state level, Center experts often testify in state legislatures to advocate for a public health-focused response to the epidemic of gun violence. Recently, Center members testified in Delaware and Michigan in support of key measures.

In Delaware, the Center’s Dr. Daniel Webster testified in support of a permit-to-purchase bill, which enhances background checks by establishing a licensing application process with a built-in waiting period. Webster testified before Delaware’s Senate Judiciary Committee and in a full Senate hearing. The legislation passed the Senate, and the bill passed the House Judiciary Committee on May 17.

In Michigan, the Center’s Lisa Geller and Tim Carey submitted written testimony in support of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), as well as background check and safe storage bills. Each piece of legislation passed through the legislature. The background check and safe storage bills were signed into law in April, and the ERPO law was signed on May 22.

Center’s Cassandra Crifasi to Take Part in “Hopkins on the Hill”

Hopkins on the Hill, a biennial showcase of the range, value, and impact of federally funded research at Johns Hopkins University, is taking place on Wednesday, June 7 on Capitol Hill. Dr. Cassandra Crifasi, the Center’s co-director, will represent the Center at the event and highlight her CDC-funded research project on the role of permit-to-purchase laws in reducing gun violence.

The event is open to the public, and guests are asked to register.

Register Here

Highlights of the Center in the News

NPR: The Pragmatism of Community Violence Prevention Programs

Daniel Webster, distinguished research scholar at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, discussed the effectiveness of community violence prevention programs in addressing the epidemic of gun violence.

The New York Times: Colorado Governor Signs Bills Strengthening Gun Laws

Lisa Geller, state affairs advisor at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, spoke about new gun safety laws in Colorado, discussing the high rate of gun suicide.

CNN: Gun violence in the US has become more lethal, research suggests

Josh Horwitz, co-director at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, described the normalization of gun violence, including “wrong place shootings.”

Virginia Mercury: After applying for funding tied to red flag law, Youngkin officials vague on plans to use it

Lori Haas, advocacy manager at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, discussed the implementation of Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws and challenges to gun safety in Virginia.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
624 North Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21205
United States

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.