BRADY CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE FOLLOWING SHOOTING AT TIMBERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS

Washington, D.C., October 6, 2021 - Following the shooting at Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, Brady reiterates the need for action at the state, federal and local level to stop gun violence and school shootings. All leaders at every level of government need to take note of this tragic shooting and act at once, particularly Texas Governor Greg Abbott who has aggressively and egregiously rolled back common-sense and popular gun violence prevention protections.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“It is unacceptable that our young people live in fear and under the threat of gun violence in their schools. As was already reported this year, school shootings have increased since students returned to school this fall after a year of remote learning and already in 2021 there have been over 330 incidents involving firearms in schools across the country. We will learn more about this shooting, but we do know that solutions to prevent gun violence, and the conflict that spirals into violence, exist. It is why we continue to join calls for community violence intervention funding, as such programs operate with and within communities, including in schools, to prevent and mediate conflict. We need that investment at the federal and state level.

Unfortunately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made Texas less safe, supporting rolling back laws that regulate the carry of firearms in public spaces and opposing overwhelming popular and common-sense gun violence prevention solutions. We cannot accept leaders who are in the pocket of the gun lobby and who will put that industry’s profits ahead of the safety of their constituents. Enough is enough.”

The Team ENOUGH Executive Council shared:

“Our generation has grown up with active shooter drills and near-constant school shootings. To say we are tired is a gross understatement. We are outraged. Texas has some of the most permissive gun laws in the country. The governor and the legislature acted this year to put more guns in public spaces. We need leaders who seek to stop the flow of guns into and the proliferation of gun violence in our communities and our schools - not ease common-sense safety restrictions that the majority of voters support. This shooting is a reminder to every elected official that our peers are dying in our schools, all while over 100 people are killed in our country every day from gun violence. This crisis demands attention. They cannot look away.”

About the Shooting:

On Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at approximately 9:15 am local time, the Arlington Police Department responded to reports of an active shooter within Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas. Police reported to and secured the scene, reporting four injuries. Timberview High School serves approximately 1,900 students from grades nine to 12.

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URGENT ACTION ALERT RE: SB 264 (MIN) FIREARMS AND ORANGE COUNTY FAIR AND EVENT CENTER

THIS IS THE PRESS RELEASE FROM 

SENATOR DAVE MIN PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

"SENATOR DAVE MIN'S GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION BILL IS HEAVILY AMENDED BUT HEADS TO ASSEMBLY FLOOR

SB 264 LIMITED TO COVER ONLY ORANGE COUNTY, BUT MIN VOWS TO TAKE UP STATEWIDE BAN AGAIN NEXT YEAR.

SACRAMENTO, CA --- Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) announced his Senate Bill (SB 264, which would end the sale of ammunition, guns and ghost guns on state-owned property, passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee last Thursday.  However, the bill was narrowed in committee to cover only one fairground site, the Orange County Fair and Event Center.

"While I'm happy that SB 264 is one step closer to keeping the citizens of Orange County safer from the specter of gun violence, I am extremely disappointed that this bill was derailed by politics as usual," Min said.  "We are facing a gun violence epidemic, one that is not limited to Orange County but which as enveloped our state and country with tragic and unacceptable results.  These are not just statistics, and we cannot simply allow the status quo to be normalized or seen as acceptable.

"Study after study shows that more guns in our communities lead to more gun violence.  Gun shows not only increase the presence of guns in our communities but also circumvent gun safety laws and encourage the sale of ghost guns - gun precursor parts that are virtually untraceable for law enforcement.

"I thank our partners who helped us get this bill one step closer to the Governor's office.  For now, I hope that with their continued support, we will get SB 264 off of the Assembly Floor and signed into law by the Governor, making Orange County families that much safer from gun violence.

"But I also vow to them that we will take up this cause again next year.  California must get out of the deadly, and morally wrong business of selling guns."

Senator Min represents the city of Costa Mesa, where the Orange County Fair and Event Center is located.  The site typically host multiple Crossroads of the West gun shows every year.

The bill heads to the Assembly Floor next, where it requires a majority vote (41)"

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On 9/2/21 SB 264 passed out of the Assembly on a vote of 51 to 21 & 7 No Vote Recorded (NVR)

BRADY OC REQUESTS CALLS TO THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN SB 264

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BRADY APPLAUDS HISTORIC FUNDING FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN MINIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL

 

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/historic-funding-for-gun-violence-prevention-minibus-appropriations-bill

 

Washington, D.C., July 29, 2021 - Today, Brady applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the minibus appropriations legislation, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, which includes historic funding to address the epidemic of gun violence in America.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“The funding bill passed this afternoon addresses some of our nation’s most urgent and pressing health crises, including our on-going gun violence epidemic. This legislation doubles the funding for the CDC and NIH to study gun violence research, funding that was first secured in 2019 after being blocked for over 20 years by rules written by the gun industry. Just as essential, the $115 million for community and youth violence prevention will help to heal communities across the country, addressing the surge in gun violence we have seen this year by tackling its root causes. Further, this legislation makes a critical investment in our veterans’ health and well-being, providing essential funding for mental health and suicide prevention services. These programs are an investment in communities and in the American people. Brady thanks Appropriations Chairwoman Rep. Rosa DeLauro for her outstanding leadership stewarding this bill and all of the gun violence prevention champions on the Appropriations Committee and in the U.S. House for ensuring that this important funding was included in the final act.”

Funds Included in this Bill:

Community and Youth Violence Prevention - This bill includes $115 million to prevent community violence, including $100 million for a new evidence-based community violence intervention initiative at CDC, which aims to prevent interpersonal intentional violence in communities that bear the heaviest burden of gun violence. The bill includes over $15 million in funds for grants to community and hospital-based intervention programs around the country. Community violence prevention models have proven effective and work by implementing public safety measures that are informed by data and carried out by local organizations on the ground in the communities most impacted.

Gun Violence Research - This bill includes $50 million in federal grant funds for research into gun violence prevention, with $25 million going to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and an additional $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This doubles the previous funding for this research, which was first appropriated in 2019 after an over 20-year moratorium on such funding due to a conservative interpretation of a provision in the 1996 omnibus spending bill, known as the Dickey Amendment. In 2018, Congress clarified that this provision does not prohibit research into gun violence, clearing the way for Congressional Appropriators to earmark these funds.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - This bill includes an increase of $89 million to enhance the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s (NSPL) infrastructure in preparation for the launch to a new 988 number in July 2022, and over $26 million for the Zero Suicide program.

Veteran Suicide Prevention Services - This legislation includes a total of $13.2 billion for Mental Healthcare for VA, including nearly $600 million for suicide prevention. This bill also includes $1 million for the Governor’s and Mayor’s Challenges to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families, the first dedicated funding for the program, and promotes lethal means safety training for those who work closely with veterans.

 

 

BRADY APPLAUDS PRESIDENT BIDEN’S HISTORIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN TAKING A SUPPLY SIDE APPROACH TO CURB GUN TRAFFICKING AND VIOLENCE

 

President Biden’s Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gun Crime Includes Numerous Policies that Brady Has Advocated for Over Many Years

 https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/president-bidens-historic-violence-prevention-plan-leadership-supply-side

 

Washington, D.C., June 23, 2021 - Today, Brady applauds the Biden Administration for adopting or proposing multiple policies that address gun trafficking by correctly enforcing existing gun laws and holding irresponsible dealers to account. These actions, which are among Brady’s recommendations for the Biden Administration, come just weeks after a marquee investigation by USA Today and The Trace into how the ATF’s inspection program fails to adequately address federal firearms licensees (FFLs) that violate the law and that used thousands of pages of documents obtained by Brady through litigation and the Freedom of Information Act.

President Biden’s proposals will also significantly aid local law enforcement in stopping the flow of crime guns into communities across the country, taking a supply side approach to stopping gun violence that addresses the source of trafficked firearms rather than over-policing the communities most affected by this epidemic. President Biden’s plan will help to stem the surge in violence that we have seen in multiple communities across the country that began last year under former President Trump.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“The Administration is right to swiftly address the concerning increase in gun violence and violence with a whole-of-government approach. Under the Trump Administration, we saw surging violence as well as surging gun sales. In 2020, Brady estimates that gun sales increased nearly 64 percent over 2019 rates, while numerous cities have reported increases in homicides, including gun homicides, and shootings. The American people want solutions and President Biden is delivering them in a manner that gets to the roots of this issue without harming the communities already bearing the brunt of this violence.

Today’s announcement shows that President Biden understands that effectively addressing gun violence requires a comprehensive approach that includes both demand and supply side strategies. By focusing on enforcing the laws already in place, President Biden can stem the flow of those weapons to the illegal market and into communities most impacted, without repeating the harmful policing policies of the past that can exacerbate these cycles of violence. The supply side approaches in today’s actions will hold irresponsible gun dealers accountable for profiting off of violence taking place in communities they do not live in, while President Biden’s previous demand side policies, such as the call for a historic $5 billion for community violence prevention, break cycles of gun violence by investing in and strengthening communities to address the root causes of violence and conflict. These actions will have a direct and lasting impact in communities that are being torn apart by daily gun violence. Thank you to President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland for this focus and plan.”

Brady Legal Counsel and Combating Crime Guns Program Director Josh Scharff shared:

“As reporting last month by USA Today and The Trace using Brady-supplied materials showed, the ATF has for too long failed to adequately enforce existing laws governing the safe sale and transfer of firearms. President Biden’s announcement today shows that those days are over. We know that this will immediately and tangibly help to reduce gun violence by stopping the trafficking of firearms throughout our country. We know that most firearms used in crimes, called crime guns, begin in the legal marketplace at a licensed dealer. Incredibly only 5 percent of gun dealers are responsible for 90 percent of crime guns that are recovered and traced by law enforcement. By addressing the reality that a small number of irresponsible dealers are responsible for the majority of crime guns, the Biden Administration can help prevent those crimes and save lives. Importantly, included among these policies is a formalization of data-driven prioritization of inspection resources, a policy that Brady has called for and championed with our enhanced inspections initiative for years. Today is a historic day in the effort to enforce our nation’s gun laws and properly inspect the gun industry.”

Brady Senior Counsel and Director of Racial Justice Kelly Sampson shared:

“This announcement is a watershed moment in the gun violence prevention movement; the President of the United States has listened to communities and crafted solutions that will effectively reduce the flow of dangerous arms onto our streets without relying on brute force. This announcement addresses the reality of gun violence in America, where nearly half of all homicides occur in just 127 cities and towns that contain only a quarter of the population and where Black men and boys from 15 to 34 comprised 37 percent of gun homicides, despite being less than 2 percent of the population. These statistics do not reflect a “culture of violence” requiring ever more militant policing, as some suggest, but they instead reflect decades of racist policies, oppression, and indifference. The reality is that gun homicide disproportionately affects Black and Brown Americans, even though the firearms used in those crimes are often negligently or recklessly sold outside of our communities. Brady is proud and pleased to see the Biden Administration tackle both ends of that equation, first in calling for historic funding for violence prevention programs to help heal our communities and now in addressing the source of these dangerous weapons. President Biden and his administration are truly taking comprehensive action to address violence in our country.”

About Brady’s Supply Side Approach:

Read Brady’s full Combating Crime Guns report here.

Most efforts to prevent gun violence focus on the perpetrators of violence with guns. These demand-side efforts, whether public policy, criminal justice reform, or social service programs, are necessary to save lives. But, alone, they are not sufficient to end America’s epidemic of gun violence, and the burden of ending gun violence should not rest solely on the communities most impacted.

A supply-side approach is focused on the supply of crime guns and encourages elected officials, community members, and law enforcement to address not just the shooter, but also the source or supplier of the gun.

By using a behavior change approach that holds gun dealers accountable, in addition to existing intervention and prevention efforts, local communities could experience a reduction in homicide and shooting rates in even the most impacted neighborhoods. In other words, a supply-side strategy is a critical aspect of a comprehensive public health approach to reducing gun violence.

About Brady’s Enhanced Inspection Initiative:

Brady’s Enhanced Inspections Initiative focuses on identifying and reforming problematic gun dealers by providing state and local authorities with the tools necessary to optimize their gun dealer inspection processes. State and local gun industry oversight is critically necessary, as the ATF inspects only about 7 percent of federal firearms licensees each year, including only 12-13 percent of all dealers, pawnshops, and manufacturers. Even when the ATF does inspect a federal firearms licensee (FFL), as this investigation shows, it often fails to adequately enforce the law.

Through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and litigation, Brady has obtained and analyzed over 50,000 pages of ATF inspection data. Using this and other data, Brady has created a method for identifying key characteristics of dealers more likely to violate the law. Our method is 4.5 times more likely to identify a problem dealer than random selection. We expect its accuracy to increase as we gain access to more data.

Brady is working to integrate its proprietary data-analytics tool into state and local inspection processes. This tool allows state and local authorities to focus their limited resources on dealers who are likely to be violating the law. In doing so, states and localities will be able to fill the oversight void that currently exists due to ATF constraints, and conduct their own, more efficient oversight of dealers.

Together with our partners, the Enhanced Inspections Initiative combines analytics with Brady’s expertise and national resources to better understand urban firearm gun homicide and violence, identify problem dealers, and stem the flow of guns into impacted communities.

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 FRED GUTTENBERG, BRADY SHARE OPEN LETTER FROM AMERICA’S FATHERS CALLING FOR ACTION TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE

 

Over 120 Fathers Join Guttenberg and #DadsForGunSafety to Demand Action Ahead of Father’s Day Weekend

 

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/fred-guttenberg-open-letter-fathers-day

 

Washington, D.C., June 18, 2021 - Ahead of Father’s Day, Fred Guttenberg, activist and father of Jaime Guttenberg who was killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting, and Brady have published an open letter from more than 120 fathers across the country calling on American leadership to take action to prevent gun violence. The letter builds upon Guttenberg’s #DadsForGunSafety movement, adding urgency to the calls from fathers nationwide who have lost or are concerned for their children due to gun violence. According to one study, a child or teen is killed by gun violence in America every 2 hours and 34 minutes. This movement requires all fathers, including and especially gun owners who understand the need for gun safety and common-sense gun violence prevention. Read Fred’s open letter here, while any dad nationwide can join Fred in calling for change.

Fred Guttenberg explained:

“This Father’s Day, I, like thousands of other fathers across the country, will be forced to confront a day in which one of our children is not with us because of gun violence. My daughter Jaime should be with me this weekend. I should have watched her walk across the stage at her graduation this month, instead I attended the graduation ceremony to receive a commemorative shadow box in honor of her memory.

It doesn’t have to be this way and dads like myself have a vital role to play in ensuring that no future parents, no future fathers, have to lose a child to gun violence. While dads have in many ways been overlooked in the narrative of the gun violence prevention movement, we have been on the front lines of the fight to end this epidemic. This includes fathers who own firearms - you can be a gun owner and for gun safety. We want to protect our families and our communities. This effort gives us a new mantle and call.

We must protect our kids, but to do so, Congress needs to do its job. Our letter, signed by Governors, Attorneys General, state and federal representatives, actors, artists, and survivors, calls on the federal government to pass life saving legislation without delay. I’m grateful to leaders such as President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Schumer, for the work they have already done, but I am ready to help them and anyone else who will work in good faith to do more.

We can create a safer country for our kids. This Father’s Day, I’m asking every dad to join us.”

Brady President Kris Brown added:

“Fred’s moral clarity on this issue is informed by a loss that no parent and no father should have to endure. We are grateful for his voice and his tireless effort to end gun violence in our country so that no other dad has to lose a child to this preventable epidemic. #DadsForGunSafety is a needed and unifying call to action for the work that fathers all across the country are already doing. It’s time we listened to and recognized dads and the work they are doing to keep their families and communities safe. Brady thanks Fred and all fathers who are on the front lines of this work and pledges to continue to support them and their work. This is about protecting our kids.”

About #DadsForGunSafety’s Open Letter:

Fred’s open letter has been signed by over 120 fathers nationwide, including Governors, Attorneys General, Activists, Actors, Artists, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, State Representatives, and survivors. Each signatory is a father and is clear in calling for change to prevent gun violence in our country. Specific calls in the letter include:

1.    The U.S. Senate must confirm David Chipman, President Biden’s nominee to lead the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

2.    The U.S. Senate must pass the common-sense and bipartisan legislation expanding and strengthening background checks that the U.S. House of Representatives passed in March

3.    Congress must include funding for community violence prevention programs in upcoming budget agreements, including the $5 billion for such programs that President Biden included in his American Jobs Plan

4.    Congress must pass a federal ban on assault-style weapons, such as the one that was used in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that killed Jaime Guttenberg and 16 others.

 

This letter remains open for all dads to join and to add their voice to this list of demands. The time is now to end gun violence in our country, and dads play an integral part in that effort.

 

 

BRADY CELEBRATES NEVADA GOV. SISOLAK SIGNING A BAN ON GHOST GUNS INTO LAW

Washington, D.C., June 7, 2021 - Today, Brady celebrates Nevada’s newest law: AB 286, which was signed into law by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak this afternoon after passing both chambers of the Nevada Legislature. This law will ban and prevent the further proliferation of ghost guns - firearms constructed from unfinished and unserialized frames and receivers that are often sold in kits that can be assembled into fully functioning firearms. This new law makes Nevada one of only several states with such bans, helping to stop this existential threat to public safety and keep all Nevadans safe.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“This is a historic day for Nevada; the state legislature and Gov. Sisolak have acted swiftly and in the best interest of all Nevadans to ban untraceable ghost guns across the state. With this law, Nevada joins other states and localities like the District of Columbia, Hawaii and New Jersey in banning the parts and kits used to assemble these untraceable weapons. Nevada’s ban will be one of the strongest ghost gun bans in the country and will regulate these weapons for what they actually are: firearms. These weapons threaten public safety and law enforcement, undermining nearly all existing gun violence prevention laws. They are an existential threat to communities across the country. Brady thanks Nevada’s legislature and Gov. Sisolak for clearly identifying that fact and acting to address it.

This new law is thanks to the sustained efforts and advocacy of activists across Nevada, including and especially Battle Born Progress. We are grateful for their leadership and to Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, herself a survivor of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, for introducing and stewarding this legislation.”

About AB 286:

AB 286 would prohibit an individual from possessing, selling, transferring, or purchasing an unfinished frame or receiver, which can be easily assembled into a ghost gun. The bill would likewise ban the possession of existing ghost guns beginning in January 2022. This bill includes common-sense carve outs such as an exception for firearms importers or manufacturers and for certain types of firearms including those rendered permanently inoperable, antiques or collector’s items, such as for hobbyists or collectors.

About Ghost Guns:

Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that are often made from "ghost gun kits," that can be bought online, at gun shows or at gun stores and assembled at home. "Ghost gun kits," include all of the parts and often the equipment necessary to build these weapons at home. These kits are widely available and can be purchased by anyone, including prohibited purchasers, domestic abusers, and gun traffickers — without a background check. As these kits and guns are sold at gun shows and online every day throughout the country, they undermine all of the life-saving policies that state legislatures have fought so hard to put in place.

This is a growing concern, as:

• The ATF estimated that in just 2019, over 10,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement.

• The CA Bureau of Firearms seized 512 percent more ghost guns from persons identified through the Armed Prohibited Persons System database in 2019 than in 2018.

• In January 2020, the ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division reported that over 40 percent of its cases involved ghost guns.

• In San Francisco, the number of ghost guns seized by local law enforcement jumped 600 percent between 2017 and 2019

• In Onondaga County, in New York State the number of ghost guns recovered jumped 188 percent between 2018 and 2019 and in 2020, the county was again on track to break their record for recoveries - halfway through the year, more ghost guns had been recovered than in all of 2019.

Two states, Hawaii and New Jersey, and two cities, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., have already instituted bans on ghost guns or parts and kits used to assemble these weapons, and several other states including California, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have also passed laws regulating ghost guns. Both New York state and San Francisco are considering legislation surrounding ghost guns, and the parts and kits used to assemble ghost guns as well bans.

About Brady’s First-of-its-Kind Lawsuit, McFadyen v. Ghost Gunner Inc.:

Represented by Brady and the international law firm Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe the survivors and the families of the people killed in the 2017 mass shooting in Rancho Tehama, California, recently brought forward McFadyen v. GhostGunner Inc., the nation’s first two civil lawsuits by victims of gun violence against the ghost gun industry.

Plaintiffs allege in the complaint that the defendants have chosen to engage in a business that utilizes online loopholes that enable prohibited purchasers to acquire weapons without a Brady Background Check or any interaction with a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). In doing so, Brady alleges that the defendants have chosen to intentionally undermine federal and state gun laws by designing, marketing, and selling ghost gun kits and firearms parts, which allowed the Rancho Tehama gunman, who was barred from purchasing or possessing a firearm, to obtain two AR-15-style ghost guns. During the gunman’s shooting spree in November 2017, he killed five people and injured 18 others at eight separate crime scenes, including an elementary school.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

JUNE IS NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH TO HONOR AND REMEMBER HADIYA AND ALL GUN VIOLENCE VICTIMS

 

                JUNE IS NATIONAL 

GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

Every day, more than 300 people are directly impacted by gun violence in the United States. Gun Violence Awareness month was created to draw attention to this tragic reality and demand life-saving change. 

We Wear Orange in honor of Hadiya Pendleton and all those impacted by gun violence.

Hadiya Pendleton was 15 years old when she was shot and killed in Chicago in 2013. Just one week earlier, Hadiya had performed with her high school majorette squad at President Obama's second inaugural parade. In response to her death, Hadiya's friends asked others to wear orange to raise awareness about gun violence. 

Gun violence prevention advocates and organizations nationwide have taken up the color orange as the color of gun violence awareness and the first Friday in June is now considered National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

BRADY APPLAUDS “HISTORIC” FUNDING PROPOSAL FOR COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS BY GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM

 

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/newsom-california-historic-funding-calvip-violence-prevention

 

Washington, D.C., May 14, 2021 - Today, Brady applauds Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed $200 million in funds for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP), which would more than quadruple the grant program’s existing funds. This funding would go to critical, evidence-based programs that heal communities to reduce violence and support Californians, a common-sense and public health approach to addressing gun violence.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Gun violence is a complex public health crisis that requires a multifaceted solution. Community violence intervention and prevention programs are an essential component to that strategy. These evidence-based programs help to provide support and resources to those communities and individuals affected by gun violence, addressing the source of conflict and working to stop violence from ever occurring. Gov. Newsom’s commitment to preventing gun violence is proven and today’s historic funding proposal is another example of his leadership on this issue. Particularly as California’s businesses and economy re-open, this funding will help programs continue their life-saving work in communities most affected by gun violence exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you, Gov. Newsom for this historic commitment to preventing gun violence in California.”

Brady Oakland Program Manager Erica Rice shared:

“Murders increased by 35 percent in the Bay Area last year - gun violence being the cause of 84 percent of the killings in Oakland. Those communities - our communities - are still reeling from that trauma. Programs funded by CalVIP help to address the root cause, mediate conflict and start the healing process by working with and within communities to reduce violence. This funding is a historic and clear demonstration of Gov. Newsom’s dedication to reducing violence in our state. Such an increase would allow community-led organizations across California to continue reaching communities that experience the disproportionate impact of gun violence, particularly Black and Brown communities. Brady thanks Gov. Newsom for his commitment to this important program. The State Legislature must include this funding in its final budget. It will save lives.”

Team ENOUGH Executive Councilmember Stephan Abrams shared:

“As a Californian and a young person, I have watched as Gov. Newsom and California’s State Legislature have taken forceful action to address gun violence in all of its forms, even as extremists and the gun lobby opposed them at every turn. I remember when our California members first lobbied for an increase in CalVIP funds and have seen firsthand those funds put to great use. I am thrilled that more groups would be able to use CalVIP funds to uplift communities across our state. The funding proposed by Gov. Newsom would help to catalyze the important work of community violence prevention programs across our state that prevent violence and work with communities to resolve conflict and create healing. Thank you Gov.Newsom for calling on our State Legislature to include this historic funding for CalVIP. These funds will create change in our state.”

About CalVIP:

Established in 2019, the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP) supports evidence-based urban violence prevention programs such as hospital and community-based violence interventions. These programs are proven to reduce the incidence of homicides, shootings, and aggravated assaults, especially in communities of color, often black communities, that are disproportionately affected by gun violence. 

BRADY APPLAUDS PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RULE REGULATING GHOST GUNS: "THIS WILL SAVE LIVES"

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/biden-garland-department-justice-ghost-guns-rule

Washington, D.C., May 7, 2021 - Today, Brady applauds President Biden and the Biden Administration for issuing a proposed rule to regulate ghost gun kits and parts as firearms. This action, when in effect, will have an immediate and tangible impact on the effort to prevent gun violence. This proposed rule will require that unfinished frames and receivers be serialized and their sale subject to a background check from a licensed dealer. This regulation will help stop the continued proliferation of unregulated and untraceable ghost guns into communities all over the country.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

“President Biden has once again demonstrated his understanding of America’s gun violence epidemic and his commitment to addressing gun violence in all of its forms. Ghost guns undermine nearly every gun law in the country, and they are marketed and sold for that purpose. The rule proposed by the Justice Department today will have a tangible impact. Unregulated access to ghost guns is a threat to public safety, which is why gun violence prevention advocates, community leaders, and law enforcement have all called for their regulation. Currently, any person can purchase a ghost gun without any background check or safeguard. This loophole has been exploited and utilized by individuals who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm, circumventing the base principles of our gun safety laws. Today’s action ends that. In requiring background checks and the serialization of these parts, President Biden and the U.S. Department of Justice will ensure that any individual who should be prohibited from purchasing a firearm has no legal avenue to do so. At long last these weapons will be treated as the firearms we know they are. This will save lives.”

Brady Program Manager and former Chief of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms Steve Lindley shared:

“Ghost guns are a clear and present danger to law enforcement, our communities, and any effort to reduce firearm violence in our country. These weapons undermine the many public safety laws that states have worked hard to pass - laws with overwhelming public support, such as background checks, that help to keep communities and law enforcement safe. This proposed rule will help keep all Americans safe and reduce gun violence and gun trafficking by ensuring that these weapons are serialized and regulated.This is a common-sense regulation and we are grateful to Attorney General Garland and President Biden for proposing this rule. This will save lives.”

Brady Senior Counsel and Director of Racial Justice Kelly Sampson shared:

“This proposed rule is part of President Biden’s plan to address gun violence in all of its forms, a plan that takes particular note of an unacceptable reality: Black and Brown communities in the United States are disproportionately affected by this epidemic. In America, Black people are ten times more likely to die from gun homicide than white people. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for Black Youth and Black youth are fourteen times more likely than their white counterparts to die from gun homicide. On the whole, gun violence decreases Black Americans’ average life expectancy by about four years. Ghost guns are a part of that gun violence and in the past few years we have seen an exponential rise in the recovery of ghost guns in Black and Brown communities nationwide. Unregulated access to unserialized ghost guns has further fuel gun trafficking into our communities, perpetuating violence into communities created by years of inequity, racism, and oppression. By regulating ghost guns as what they are --firearms, President Biden is reducing a driver of gun violence in our communities and building on his historic funding for community violence prevention. This rule will have an immediate and tangible impact.”

About Ghost Guns:

Ghost guns are unserialized and untraceable firearms that are often made from "ghost gun kits," that can be bought online, at gun shows or at gun stores and assembled at home. "Ghost gun kits," include all of the parts and often the equipment necessary to build these weapons at home. These kits are widely available and can be purchased by anyone, including prohibited purchasers, domestic abusers, and gun traffickers — without a background check. As these kits and guns are sold at gun shows and online every day throughout the country, they undermine all of the life-saving policies that state legislatures have fought so hard to put in place. We have seen ghost guns used in crimes already, such as in New York, where six-year-old Miguel Everson was shot in the back by his uncle, who was a prohibited purchaser but obtained a ghost gun, and in the 2019 Saugus High School Shooting, where a minor used a .45 caliber pistol that was assembled from a kit.

This is a growing concern, as:

·       The ATF estimated that in just 2019, over 10,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement.

·       The CA Bureau of Firearms seized 512 percent more ghost guns from persons identified through the Armed Prohibited Persons System database in 2019 than in 2018.

·       In January 2020, the ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division reported that over 40 percent of its cases involved ghost guns.

·       In just one week in January 2021, 17 percent of firearms recovered by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC were ghost guns.

·       In San Francisco, the number of ghost guns seized by local law enforcement jumped 600 percent between 2017 and 2019

·       In Onondaga County, in New York State the number of ghost guns recovered jumped 188 percent between 2018 and 2019 and in 2020, the county was again on track to break their record for recoveries - halfway through the year, more ghost guns had been recovered than in all of 2019.

About Brady’s First-of-its-Kind Lawsuit, McFadyen v. Ghost Gunner Inc.

Represented by Brady and the international law firm Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe the survivors and the families of the people killed in the 2017 mass shooting in Rancho Tehama, California, recently brought forward McFadyen v. GhostGunner Inc., the nation’s first two civil lawsuits by victims of gun violence against the ghost gun industry.

Plaintiffs allege in the complaint that the defendants have chosen to engage in a business that utilizes online loopholes that enable prohibited purchasers to acquire weapons without a Brady Background Check or any interaction with a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). In doing so, Brady alleges that the defendants have chosen to intentionally undermine federal and state gun laws by designing, marketing, and selling ghost gun kits and firearms parts, which allowed the Rancho Tehama gunman, who was barred from purchasing or possessing a firearm, to obtain two AR-15-style ghost guns. During the gunman’s shooting spree in November 2017, he killed five people and injured 18 others at eight separate crime scenes, including an elementary school.

CONGRESS TO PASS TRANSFORMATIVE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION LAWS

“THE TIME IS NOW TO TAKE ACTION:” 

BRADY JOINS PRESIDENT BIDEN’S CALL TO ACTION.

 President Biden Became The First President Since Bill Clinton To Highlight Gun Violence Prevention In His First Address To A Joint Session Of Congress

 https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/the-time-is-now-to-take-action-biden-join-address-congress

 Washington, D.C., April 28, 2021 - Tonight, Brady applauds President Biden’s clear and moral leadership in calling on Congress to pass common-sense gun violence prevention laws during his first address to a joint session of Congress. President Biden reiterated the scope of our nation’s gun violence crisis, including his recent executive action to prevent the proliferation of ghost guns, and calling on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, expand and strengthen Brady background checks, and pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Brady joins with President Biden in calling for these policies and supports him and all elected officials in the effort to make them the law of the land.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Tonight, President Biden proved again that he is the strongest gun violence prevention champion ever to occupy the Oval Office, becoming the first President since President Clinton in 1993 to highlight the need to prevent gun violence in their first address to Congress. And, the policies he is calling for are just as transformative as the Brady Bill that President Clinton called on Congress to pass. President Biden called on Congress to follow his lead and to take action, just as he has in announcing six executive actions that will tangibly and immediately affect gun violence.

We need the legislative fixes that President Biden called on Congress to pass. He rightly called for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to help stop police violence that traumatizes Black and Brown communities across the country. President Biden authored the Violence Against Women act in the 1994 and now, 27 years later, the Senate must follow the House’s lead and pass its reauthorization, including the fix to the so-called ‘boyfriend loophole,’ without delay. The Senate must also pass the two bills sent from the House expanding and strengthening Brady background checks, which President Biden rightly said have the ‘overwhelming support of the American people.’ These policies, a legislative solution for untraceable ghost guns, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines will help address the public health epidemic that kills over 100 Americans every day and disproportionately affects Black and Brown Americans. Brady echoes President Biden's clarion call to the Senate: the time is now to take action.

With President Biden, we can again pass transformative public safety laws to protect our families and communities from gun violence. As President Biden said, ‘we’ve done it before.’ President Biden has done it before. He has taken on the NRA and won - and this moment represents the best opportunity in a generation to do it again. We stand with President Biden just as he did with Jim and Sarah Brady in the 1990’s and now, just as then, we will pass these life-saving measures.”

About President Biden’s Executive Actions:

This month, President Biden outlined six initial actions to address gun violence:

1.    The White House has nominated David Chipman for Director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

2.    The Justice Department, within 30 days, will issue a proposed rule to help stop the proliferation of ghost guns.

3.    The Justice Department, within 60 days, will publish model extreme risk order legislation for states. 

4.    The Justice Department will issue a new, comprehensive report on firearms trafficking and annual updates necessary to give policymakers the information they need to help address firearms trafficking today.

5.    The Administration is investing in substantive evidence-based community violence interventions, directing five federal agencies to modify 26 programs that will route vital support to community violence intervention programs as quickly as possible. This also adds to the proposed $5 billion investment in the American Jobs Plan that will support community violence intervention programs.

6.    The Justice Department, within 60 days, will issue a proposed rule to make clear when a device marketed as a stabilizing brace effectively turns a pistol into a short-barreled rifle subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act.

 About the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA):

Passed in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act marked a seachange in the way in which our nation thinks about intimate partner violence. For over 20 years, Congress has reauthorized this common-sense bill that has helped to protect Americans from domestic abuse. However, the 116th Congress and notably the U.S. Senate led by Sen. Mitch McConnell allowed VAWA to expire on December 21, 2018. In an attempt to right this wrong, VAWA was temporarily reinstated on January 25, 2019, but was again allowed to expire on February 15, 2019, again due to the gun lobby’s protestations and stranglehold on the Senate. Even so, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill reauthorizing VAWA in April 2019, which was then allowed to languish without a vote in the Senate. Today’s vote to reauthorize VAWA is overdue.

This reauthorization would close what is known as the ‘boyfriend loophole.’ Under federal law, dating partners who do not share a child in common can still legally purchase and own guns, even if they abuse their partners. Additionally, persons convicted of stalking, battery, and assault misdemeanors can still purchase and possess guns. The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act would update federal law to close these dangerous loopholes. It does not include any language regarding extreme risk laws.

About H.R. 8:

Introduced on March 2, 2021 by Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), H.R. 8 makes it unlawful to sell or transfer a firearm in any transaction without a Brady Background Check. This bill expands the current Brady Law to every sale or transfer in private sales, subject to the narrow exceptions.

About H.R. 1446:

Introduced on March 2, 2021 by Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-6), H.R. 1446 provides the background check system with additional time to make a final determination on a potential firearms purchaser before a licensed dealer can transfer a gun, addressing the so-called “Charleston loophole.”

Currently, federal law allows a “default proceed,” whereby a federally licensed firearm dealer (FFL) can transfer a gun to a customer if the federal background check is not completed within 3 business days of the background check request to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

The Charleston loophole is named for the 2015 mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Charleston, S.C., that killed nine innocent people. The shooter – who was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm – was able to acquire his gun before the FBI could complete his background check. Although the FBI needed more time to investigate the shooter’s disqualifying records to determine whether the purchase was lawful, federal law allowed the dealer to transfer the gun after three days even though the check was not completed.

 

--  

 BRADY JOINS CALLS FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGES TO POLICING IN AMERICA, FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT IN DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL

 

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/systemic-change-policing-george-floyd-derek-chauvin-verdict

 

Washington. D.C., April 20, 2021 - Following the decision in the trial of Derek Chauvin, Brady joins with activists and communities across the country who have called for justice in this case and today received it. We should not have had to have this trial at all, as George Floyd should still be alive. He should not have been murdered by a man sworn to protect the public. This verdict cannot undo the murder of George Floyd or the pain that his family has felt. We need systemic change to our policing systems to prevent such tragedies. Because police violence is facilitated by the direct use, threat or perceived threat of firearms, we must recognize police violence as gun violence. This verdict must serve as another wake up call for our entire nation to create new public safety systems that do not terrorize and kill our fellow Americans. We cannot accept a system that allowed for the murder of George Floyd or that continues to kill Black and Brown Americans.

Brady Director of Racial Justice Kelly Sampson shared:

“George Floyd should be alive today. Period. That would be true justice, but today’s verdict does bring some measure of justice for his family and an opportunity for systemic change. We cannot accept the status quo when it comes to policing in America. By some measures, there have only been three days in 2021 where someone was not killed by police. We know that this violence disproportionately affects Black and Brown Americans. Police are more than two times more likely to kill Black Americans than white Americans. Native Americans are 3.1 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans. This is not society.

We are capable of creating a society where George Floyd would still be alive today. Where Duane Wright would be alive today. Where Adam Toledo would be able to live more than 13 years on this earth. Where Breonna Taylor would not be shot in her bed.

We must remember their names and we must honor their memories with action. We need systemic change. True justice cannot be handed down by a jury when the system that facilitated the crime remains intact. Today must be a new beginning for the effort to create systemic change in our policing systems. We cannot accept anymore young girls having to see their father’s ‘change the world.’ We cannot accept a country where any one of us can’t breathe. If the air is poisonous for one of us, it is poisonous to us all.”

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Today’s verdict is an important first step towards demanding accountability and change when it comes to policing in America. We need systemic change that creates a public safety system that does not kill our fellow citizens. Black and Brown Americans have been calling for changes to policing for years. It is far beyond time that our nation listens to their calls. Today, Brady joins with the many activists across the country who have demanded justice in this case, and so many others, for years. This verdict does not create justice for George Floyd or for the other victims of police violence across the country, but it brings us one step closer to creating change. Brady joins with these same activists in demanding clear and actionable steps from local, state, and the federal government, such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act already before Congress. This is an opportunity to create real change and make a more just and equitable nation. We must seize it.”

Facts About Police Violence:

·       The United States sees rates of police violence and officer-involved shootings at far higher rates than its peer countries

·       Nearly 1,100 people were killed by police in 2019, a number and rate far higher than in other, industrialized nations

·       Black Americans are only 13 percent of the U.S. population but are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans.

·       According to one research group, Black Americans were 24 percent of all police-involved shooting fatalities last year.

·       While they comprise just 0.8 percent of the total U.S. population, Native Americans are 1.9 percent of police-involved shooting fatalities.

·       Native Americans are 3.1 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans.

 

We must also acknowledge that Americans do not experience gun violence equally. While gun violence affects every community, it is an indisputable fact that gun violence disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities. To look at the full picture of gun violence in America accurately requires this critical lens. In the United States, where you live often determines if you live — and we cannot accept that. According to CDC data, Black people are 10 times more likely to die from gun homicide as white people. That same data shows us that black youth under 19 fare even worse; they are fourteen times more likely than their white counterparts to die from gun homicide. The life expectancy for Black men was reduced by four years because of gun violence. Polling shows that 57 percent of African Americans personally know someone who has been shot either accidentally or intentionally, compared to 43 percent of white respondents. The effects of this reality are pernicious, including lifelong trauma and stress that tangibly and negatively affect Black and Brown communities and individuals. It is impossible to discuss gun violence without addressing this reality, as any real solutions must account for and seek to correct this systemic inequality.

           BRADY APPLAUDS THE NOMINATION OF DAVID CHIPMAN FOR DIRECTOR 

          OF THE U.S. BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES

CHIPMAN IS AN EXPERT AND GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION CHAMPION WHO WILL FAITHFULLY ADVANCE ATF’S MISSION


Washington, D.C., April 7, 2021 - Today, Brady applauded the nomination of David Chipman to serve as director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Chipman is well qualified to helm ATF, with over two decades of service at the ATF. He will be ready to lead on day one. Brady urges the U.S. Senate to confirm him at once.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“David Chipman is a law enforcement expert who understands what law enforcement needs and wants in order to prevent gun violence, which is proper enforcement of laws that stop gun trafficking and robust oversight of the gun industry. He understands that preventing gun violence requires an ATF that can fully execute its mission. He will begin to do so on day one. Chipman’s background at the ATF and his expertise in preventing gun violence make him an unparalleled choice for this nomination. Brady urges the United States Senate to confirm him without delay.

The ATF’s mission is critical to keeping Americans safe by reducing the flow of firearms into our communities. The ATF sits at the vital juncture of all gun violence prevention laws and is a partner to federally licensed firearm dealers and first line of defense in the effort to stop non-compliant dealers from allowing firearms to flow into our communities. That the role of ATF Director has been vacant since 2015 only underscores the extent to which the gun lobby has hobbled the good faith effort of the ATF to enforce our nation’s laws and oversee the gun industry. This appointment is a needed step back towards the proper functioning of the ATF and another demonstration of President Biden’s commitment to preventing gun violence.”

What the ATF Director Can Do:

The ATF Director plays a critical role in preventing gun trafficking, the unlawful movement of guns from the legal market to the criminal one, a major method of obtaining firearms for people who cannot legally purchase or possess them. Stemming the flow of trafficked weapons will slow the flooding of guns onto American streets, enabling communities to concentrate on community violence prevention and intervention programs. Of the many actions the Director can take, the Director can:


Direct ATF to interpret the phrase “statistical aggregate data” in the Tiahrt Amendments to include the aggregate number of crime gun traces on a per dealer basis, and to include information about the largest crime gun suppliers in the annual state trafficking reports.


Direct ATF to assess the terms of all MOUs with state and local law enforcement agencies regarding the use of eTrace data and ensure that no provisions place any restrictions on state and local use of trace data that are not necessary to comply with the language of Tiahrt.


Instruct ATF to require all states to report multiple sales of long guns so that it can identify traffickers and the dealers that facilitate gun trafficking.


Direct ATF to permit entities with eTrace logins to share trace data across state lines.


Direct ATF to prioritize crime gun suppliers, non-compliant FFLs, and other high-risk FFLs for more frequent compliance inspections, and to formally track and report its progress on an annual basis


Direct ATF to issue an annual report providing detailed information about legal violations by gun dealers, distributors, and manufacturers and how ATF has chosen to address such violations, broken down by geographic areas that correspond with ATF field divisions, to provide transparency about gun industry compliance and ATF compliance inspections.


Direct ATF to release an annual updated report containing all of the same categories of information contained in the 2000 report. This would equip policymakers with information necessary to prevent violence in their communities.

Learn more about David and his work by listening to his podcast appearances with Red, Blue, and Brady!

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/david-chipman-atf-director-nomination