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Hi John - In the wake of the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, so many reached out—asking what comes next for our movement and how we can turn grief into action. Those questions matter. Because moments like this demand more than thoughts and prayers—they demand answers, accountability, and a plan to save lives. That's why Everytown President John Feinblatt wanted to personally share his responses to the three most frequently asked questions we've received—and how our movement is tackling them head-on. Read John's answers below ⤵️:
This question speaks to a key fact: Americans own nearly 400 million guns. So if we're serious about reducing gun violence, we need to be serious about reaching out to gun owners. The Everytown Support Fund recently launched a new initiative that takes a novel approach to doing just that: Train SMART. The story of Train SMART starts with our Veterans Advisory Council, which includes nearly 40 veterans from across the country. They helped us recognize a glaring contributor to gun violence in America: the poor quality of firearm safety trainings, many of which use fear-based tactics to indoctrinate gun owners into a "shoot first" mindset and help manufacturers sell guns. The gun industry's grip on the training landscape is so tight that 21 states require taking NRA courses, or those run by NRA-certified instructors, in order to buy guns or receive concealed-carry permits. We know many potential or new gun owners would welcome an alternative to NRA trainings, so the Support Fund is launching Train SMART, a series of veteran-developed online trainings that will teach the fundamentals of responsible gun ownership. Train SMART courses focus primarily on people contemplating buying their first gun, and those who have recently purchased guns. The Train SMART Leadership Council, a group of distinguished veterans from multiple branches of the military, ensures experienced military voices are front and center.
No question about it: Political polarization is perilously high. But if you look past Washington, you can still find examples of bipartisan consensus. Case in point: Everytown's response to the emerging threat posed by Glock switches. Some background: Certain handguns, particularly Glocks, can be quickly turned into a machine gun with the installation of a small, cheap device commonly known as a "Glock switch." Unsurprisingly, these DIY machine guns—which are capable of shooting thousands of rounds a minute—are increasingly showing up at crime scenes. Like gun violence itself, the threat posed by Glock switches doesn't differentiate between red and blue states—and many state lawmakers realize this. Everytown has worked with Republican leaders in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi to pass bans on Glock switches. In 2026, we plan to pursue a similar strategy in other Republican-leaning states, including Utah and Georgia. Two more things worth noting when it comes to Glock switches: We're being even more aggressive in states with Democratic leadership. In California, Gavin Newsom just recently signed a first-in-the nation bill championed by Everytown that bans the sale of handguns that can easily be converted to machine guns. Thanks to this bill, the sale of up to 200,000 convertible handguns will be blocked every year in California alone. In addition to legislation, Everytown Law is taking Glock to court for failing to address this threat. So far, they've brought two lawsuits against Glock, one with the City of Chicago and another with the State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore. Bottom Line: We'll continue ramping up pressure on the gun industry until they take steps to reform.
When it comes to assault weapons, Everytown is using the playbook that has guided our work since our founding more than a decade ago: Start with the states, with an eye towards putting pressure on Congress. Just this year, we passed assault weapons restrictions in two new states after years of hard work. In Colorado, which has a long tradition of gun ownership, we worked closely with Governor Jared Polis on a bill to create a permit-to-purchase system for assault weapons. Under the new law, potential buyers are required to pass a background check and take a safety course. We will use this first-of-its-kind legislation as a model for other states where a ban isn’t politically feasible. We also succeeded in passing a ban in Rhode Island—and this one is a story of perseverance. For 12 long years, our Moms Demand Action volunteers showed up at the capital in Providence, calling on their lawmakers to ban the sale of weapons of war. It would have been easy for them to give up. But there's a reason the Moms Demand Action motto is "Keep going." In June, Governor Dan McKee signed a bill that was a dozen years in the making, bringing the number of states with assault weapons bans or restrictions to 15. We hope these proved informative to you. The Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund is committed to ending gun violence—and supporters like you power our ability to do that work. Together, we're tackling the most pressing gun violence prevention issues of our time:
Every win—from new state laws to electing gun sense candidates down the ballot—happens because people like you refuse to give up. Every donation fuels the mobilization and advocacy that turns outrage into real change. Thank you standing with us. Everytown for Gun Safety  |
