Week in Review

KENTUCKY: Before school started on Tuesday morning, a crowd of students was gathering in the common area at Marshall County High School in the small town of Benton, Kentucky, when the sound of gunfire rang out. The shooter, a 15-year-old boy who attends the high school, used a handgun in the attack. He killed two of his 15-year-old classmates and injured 18 others , before being arrested by a Marshall County sheriff’s deputy. Gunfire in American schools used to be rare, but already there have been 12 school shootings in 2018, and it’s only January. Last Monday, there was also a shooting in a school cafeteria outside Dallas, and a charter school parking lot in New Orleans. Read Gabby’s response to these latest school shooting in USA Today.

PENNSYLVANIA: Four people, who were all in their 20s, were shot and killed Sunday at a southern Pennsylvania car wash. Family members said the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute. The suspected gunman is on life support and not expected to survive after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. As of January 28, there have been at least 21 mass shootings in our country. Gabby’s statement that went out after the shooting includes more information about domestic violence and firearms, Pennsylvania’s gun laws, and what we know so far about the shooting.

• The New York Times – Opinion | Guns — When Trump Can’t Even Tweet : “Donald Trump — who yelled about ‘carnage’ in big cities during his inauguration speech — has said not a word about the Kentucky shooting except to tweet his ‘thoughts and prayers.’”
• NPR | What It Takes To Get Guns Out Of The Wrong Hands : In an effort to curb gun violence, Seattle police are now following up in person on court orders requiring people to surrender guns.
• LA Times | Less than 3 miles from mass shooting in Las Vegas, a gun show unfolds : The Shot Show (for Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade) is an annual event for the firearms industry, where exhibitors and vendors display their latest products that can used by law enforcement, hunting and shooting enthusiasts.
• Salon | Right-to-carry Laws Lead To More Violent Crime: Isn’t That A Huge Surprise? : The NRA wants everyone to buy guns and carry them — but research shows that violence rises when people pack heat.
• York Dispatch | Victims Caught in Crossfire Face Lifelong Health Issues : For every death from gun violence, many more are injured and permanently scarred when shots ring out. By one tally, more than 81,000 Americans survive gunshots every year.
• The New York Times | Trump Envisions an A.T.F. Without the A or T : The Trump administration has drafted plans to strip key authorities from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an acknowledgment that the agency has all but abandoned its legacy of fighting liquor and tobacco smugglers.
• JAMA Network | Physicians Join Frontline Efforts to Curb Gun Injuries, Deaths : Fed up with the toll gun injuries take on their patients, physicians from Chicago’s top hospitals took an unusual step late last October. They joined Illinois lawmakers during a news conference to endorse state legislation requiring licensing for gun dealers.
• The Hill – Opinion | Gun Violence Prevention Is A Feminist Issue : “Though it has not traditionally been classified as such, gun violence prevention is a feminist issue. It is an issue that affects women from all walks of life. It affects women in abusive relationships, women who live in fear of neighborhood violence, women who suffer from suicidality or know others who do. The pervasive threat of gun violence, which affects some women more than others, keeps women (and men) from living rewarding lives and reaching their full potential.”
• WKMS Salon | In Wake of School Shooting, A Look At How Kids Get Guns : A 2004 report by the Secret U.S. Service and U.S. Dept. of Education found that over 2/3 of students who used guns in violent acts at school got those guns from their own home or that of a relative.

• Everytown | New Interactive Website Shows Ties Between NRA, Russia and Trump as FBI Investigates Whether Russian Money Went to NRA to Help Trump : See for yourself how the NRA Spent Years Cultivating Relationships with Russian Operatives, Even as Russia Meddled in Our Elections.
• Giffords Law Center | Study Finds Gun Violence Costs New York Over $5.6 Billion A Year : Even though the state of New York, thanks to some of the toughest gun laws in the country, has the third-lowest number of gun deaths per capita among states, the cost of shootings exceeds a whopping $5.6 billion a year.
• Injury Prevention BMJ Journals | Prosecuting Background Check and Straw Purchase Violations Depends on State Laws :Study examined prosecutions following tougher sentencing for ‘straw arm’ purchases in Pennsylvania and a Maryland court decision that redefined private firearm transfers.
• USA Today | Report: Vegas Shooter Bought 55 Guns In 1 Year : Of the 23 weapons found inside the Las Vegas shooter’s hotel room, there were 13 AR-15 rifles equipped with “bump stocks,” which allowed him to fire bullets from the semi-automatic rifles at a faster rate.

• California | Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly Endorse Gavin Newsom for Governor : On Friday, Gabby and Mark endorsed gun safety champion Gavin Newsom for Governor, who has a history of action on progressive causes and for fighting for stronger gun laws in California.
• Colorado | Denver Enacts Bump Stocks Ban After Las Vegas Shooting : The Denver City Council on Monday passed a measure that will make it illegal to sell, carry, store or possess bump stocks, a device that was used last fall by a gunman to increase his rifle power as he shot and killed 58 people at a country music festival in Las Vegas. The city follows the lead of several states that have prohibited the devices.
• Idaho | Bill Would Make It Illegal To Carry Gun In Business With Sign Banning Weapons : Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, said he is sponsoring Senate File 2025 at the request of business owners in Johnson County, intending to protect Iowans who operate bars, restaurants and grocery stores. The measure has drawn opposition from Second Amendment advocates.
• Florida | When Wakes And Vigils For Gun Violence Victims Aren’t Safe : In the past two years, five people were killed and at least seven injured at wake or vigil shootings in Miami-Dade County. In the days after a shooting when police are still in the early stages of their investigation and families are carrying out the sorrow-filled task of honoring a life cut short by bullets, it’s not uncommon for wakes or vigils to become targets.
• Georgia | Savannah Churches Hold Interfaith Service To Stand Against Gun Violence : The event had a large turnout, where community members of all backgrounds and religions planted trees in Nathanael Greene Park last weekend. Each tree represented a life lost to gun violence.
• Maine | Bill Would Allow Guns In Cars On School Grounds : A similar bill was defeated last year, but supporters are making another effort to pass a measure that would require guns to be unloaded and in a locked container or rack.
• Maryland | Advocates Meet With State Reps To Tighten Gun Access For Domestic Abusers : Roughly 150 Moms Demand Action supporters called for a bill that would require courts to notify people convicted of domestic violence that they are legally prohibited from possessing guns and order them to surrender their weapons.
• New Hampshire | Bill to Ban Gun ‘Bump Stocks’ in N.H. Gets Public Hearing : In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting last October, New Hampshire lawmakers are considering a ban on so-called “bump stocks” in the state.
• New Jersey | 11 Bills Christie Vetoed Now Getting New Life under Phil Murphy : The new governor has said he will sign every piece of gun legislation that former Governor Chris Christie vetoed, including a smart gun bill.
• New York | ‘Interrupters’ Peek at Social Media to Stop Street Violence : Under the program, the violence interrupters monitor social media for signs of risky behavior, like threats of violence, photos with weapons, or expressions of grief or emotional stress. They focus on people ages 16 to 25. If an alarming post or photo is found, a worker reaches out to the young person.
• Ohio | Concealed Carry Permits Issued Drops By Nearly Half In 2017 : The difference? No one really knows for sure, but the conventional wisdom would be it had something to do with who was elected president in 2016.
• Texas | Analysis: What Works In One Texas Election Might Not Work In The Next One : Four years ago, Wendy Davis supported open carry when she ran for governor, which she later regretted. Now, former Sheriff Lupe Valdez, who has clearly outlined her commitment to gun safety, is challenging principal opponent Andrew White in the Democratic primary.
• Virginia | Guns Sales in Virginia Dip During Trump’s First Year : Firearms purchases dropped 3.5 percent last year, falling below the record half-million mark set in 2016. Gun shops described the decline as a “hangover” following the panicked buying during the Democratic Obama administration.
• Washington | Editorial Board: Police Shouldn’t Sell Guns Back To The Communities They Protect : “Police agencies should not be making it even easier for criminals to get their hands on guns. Instead, they should melt the weapons down — not recirculate them to the same communities they are charged with protecting.”

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