BRADY CA CALLS ON SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ON FIREARM STORAGE

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER LAURA FRIEDMAN

 COULD REDUCE INCIDENTS OF FAMILY FIRE IN CALIFORNIA

HTTPS://WWW.BRADYUNITED.ORG/PRESS-RELEASES/CALIFORNIA-SCHOOL-RESOURCES-BILL-FIREARM-STORAGE

Washington, D.C., February 8, 2021 - Brady applauds the introduction of AB 452 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) and urges the California Legislature to pass this important bill. AB 452 would require the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to work with California schools on notifying families about the state’s safe gun storage laws. Especially while children are confined at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring families have the information they need to safely store firearms could curb incidents of family fire - shootings involving improperly stored or misused guns in the home.

This legislation will reduce unintentional shootings among children, youth suicides by firearm, and school shootings. The bill will save lives. Brady calls on the California Legislature to pass AB 452 without delay.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Schools and educators are vital partners in the effort to prevent unintentional shootings in the home, part of what’s known as family fire. Nationwide, more than 4 million children live in homes with access to unlocked or unsupervised guns, while eight children or teens are injured or killed in unintentional shootings every day. This bill will help to provide California families with information about the dangers that can result from unsafe firearm practices in the home.

Brady is grateful to Assemblymember Friedman for her work in championing this needed policy. All Californians, and especially the state’s children, will be safer because of this bill and we urge the California Legislature to pass it at once."

Brady California Legislative Chair and former school board member of the Ready Springs Union Elementary School District, Amanda Wilcox shared:

“As we enter another year of lockdown orders from the coronavirus pandemic, millions of children continue to spend increased time in homes where guns are improperly stored. We owe it to our children, and all Californians, to protect them from incidents of family fire. AB 452 is a necessary step to save lives and reduce the major impact family fire has on America’s gun violence epidemic.”

Team Enough Executive Councilmember Stephan Abrams shared:

“Schools are an essential partner and often untapped resource in the effort to prevent unintentional shootings and reduce gun violence. As a California resident and current student, school resources are an important information source for us and our families. This bill will save lives by helping schools and parents to avail themselves of these materials on safe storage and gun safety. It is a common-sense bill and we are proud to support Assemblymember Friedman in the effort to ensure it becomes law.”

About AB 452:

Introduced by Assemblymember Laura Friedman, AB 452 requires all public and private schools in California to inform parents and guardians of California’s child access prevention and safe firearm storage laws at the beginning of each semester or quarter.

About Family Fire

Family fire is a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun in the home that results in death or injury. Every day, 8 children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to an unlocked or unsupervised gun in the home. 63 people a day die by gun suicide. When someone attempts suicide with a gun, they rarely get a second chance to live a full life. Unintentional shootings, suicide, and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire.

Fast Facts About Family Fire:

4.6 million children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun

Over 70% of kids know where that gun is stored in their home

One study showed that 1 in 5 parents who said their child never handled guns without supervision were contradicted by their child’s reports

Access to guns in the home increases the risk of suicide by 300%.

75% of school shootings are facilitated by kids having access to unsecured and/or unsupervised guns at home.

For more information: https://www.bradyunited.org/program/end-family-fire

BRADY CONDEMNS VIRGINIA SENATE FOR FAILING TO PASS A BILL PROHIBITING DOMESTIC ABUSERS FROM POSSESSING FIREARMS

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/virginia-senate-fails-to-pass-domestic-abusers-prohibitor

 

Washington, D.C., February 4, 2021 - Today Brady expresses profound disappointment in the Virginia Senate after it has failed to pass SB 1382, a bill that would have prohibited abusers convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from purchasing and possessing a firearm. Without this bill, individuals in Virginia who are convicted of domestic abuse are able to continue possessing their firearms despite being prohibited by federal law and can even purchase more guns via private sales that are not subject to federal background checks. This bill would have empowered law enforcement to remove these weapons and disarm these convicted abusers.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“The people of Virginia have demanded common-sense gun violence prevention laws to keep our Commonwealth safe. This bill, prohibiting convicted domestic abusers from purchasing a firearm, is such a bill. It is unfathomable that members of the Virginia Senate believe that these individuals should retain their firearms when it is a fact that a gun in a home with a history of domestic violence increases the risk of homicide by 500 percent. A woman is shot and killed by a former or current partner roughly every 16 hours in the United States. This bill would save lives. Shame on the Virginia Senate for failing to take action to keep our families safe.”

Author and activist Kate Ranta shared:

"As a domestic and gun violence survivor who was almost killed with 9mm Beretta at the hands of my violent ex-husband, and as someone who deeply believes abusers should not be able to have guns, I am angry and disappointed that the Virginia Senate failed to pass this bill. It makes no sense. Why would we ever want violent abusers to remain armed? Women and children are dying and the Senate has failed to take action to protect them."

About SB 1382:

SB 1382 - This bill would prohibit those convicted of the assault and battery of a family or household member from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm.

Facts About Guns and Domestic Violence in the United States:

·       About every 16 hours, a woman is shot and killed by a former or current partner;

·       54 percent of mass shootings are related to domestic or family violence;

·       Women who were killed by a spouse, intimate partner, or close relative were 7 times more likely to have lived in homes with guns;

·       1 out of every 15 children in the U.S. is exposed to the effects of intimate partner violence yearly; and

·       When there is a gun in a home with a history of domestic violence, there is a 500% higher chance that a woman will be murdered.