John,

Every 16 hours, a woman is shot and killed by a spouse or intimate partner in the United States. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the impact of domestic violence and the tools available to prevent it.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.

As COVID-19 disrupts daily life across the country, survivors of domestic violence are at a heightened risk of gun violence. Law enforcement in King County, Washington—home to Alliance HQ—have reported concerning spikes in domestic violence cases. There have already been twice as many domestic violence homicides in 2020 as occurred in all of 2019.

We know that domestic violence and firearms are a deadly combination. Research shows that the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 400 percent. And contrary to gun lobby rhetoric, there is no evidence suggesting that arming a victim of domestic violence increases their safety. Instead, one of the surest ways to reduce gun deaths is to disarm domestic abusers.

To learn more about the intersection of domestic violence and gun violence in the time of COVID-19 check out this 30-minute podcast from our friends at Brady United.

-Kristen (she/her)