Gun Violence Prevention

Key Facts

• Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens in Pennsylvania and America. 
• Among the 12 wealthiest countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States accounts for 97% of child firearm related deaths. The firearm-related death rate for children and teens more than doubled from 2013 to 2021.
• Nearly six in 10 gun deaths in Pennsylvania are suicides, which disproportionately occur among veterans, children, and LGBTQ+ Americans.
• The rate of firearm suicide in more rural parts of America is 3x higher than in American cities.
• Gun violence costs Pennsylvanians an estimated $22 billion every year

Key Proposals

• Background checks on every firearm sale: Background checks work. Since 1994, the automatic background check system has prevented the sale of over 4 million firearms to people convicted of violent crimes. Sales of guns outside the background check system–which is easy, fast, and secure–create more opportunity for guns to get into the wrong hands
• Extreme risk protection orders (ERPO): In times of crisis, immediate access to a firearm is the difference between life and death–for individuals in crisis and the people they know. These court orders allow for the temporary separation of individuals from their firearms in accordance with full due process rights and with limited time frames. In the decade after Indiana implemented ERPO, firearm suicides dropped 7.5%.
• Treat DIY “ghost” guns like other firearms: Untraceable “ghost” guns are a rapidly growing threat to our community. In 2020, two people in Selinsgrove were killed by a man unable to purchase a firearm legally who had obtained a Polymer80 handgun widely available online as an “AFT” (Assemble For Thyself) kit. Everyone knows these kits make firearms. Pennsylvania should govern them as such by requiring serial numbers and background checks for purchase.

Addressing gun violence is one of the great responsibilities of this moment. It takes our family members young and old, our veterans, our law enforcement officers, and so many other Americans. We can take on gun violence without compromising our constitutional rights including the Second Amendment and without the fear-mongering of politicians who have no excuse for their inaction or obstinance.