Last year, the Commonwealth saw a spike in gun violence across the state, likely exacerbated by the pandemic. Communities of color were disproportionately impacted by this increase in gun violence, mirroring the disproportionate impact COVID-19 had on communities of color. These disparities fueled our coalition partners to come together and advocate for gun violence prevention funding as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recovery funds. 

“We applaud the State Legislature and Governor Baker for believing in a future without gun violence and making the necessary investments in our community to reach that goal,” said Zoe Grover, Executive Director of Stop Handgun Violence. “For over 25 years, Stop Handgun Violence has been working to eradicate gun violence in the Commonwealth. We believe this funding will be transformational to the state and are proud that Massachusetts continues to be a national leader on this issue.”