Addressing Gun Violence in America

Every day, nearly 130 people in the United States are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries. Data and research shows that common-sense public safety measures can reduce gun violence and save lives.

Background Checks

Federal law requires that a person pass a background check before buying a gun from a licensed firearm dealer. Since 1994, over 5 million illegal gun sales have been blocked, including to people convicted of a felony, domestic abusers, and people barred due to mental illness. But the federal law does not apply if a person buys a gun from an unlicensed seller. This means that criminals can easily buy guns from strangers they meet online or at gun shows, with no questions asked. States can close this loophole by passing a law extending background checks to unlicensed sellers.

Extreme Risk Protection Order

When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see warning signs. Extreme Risk laws, often called Red Flag laws, allow them to ask a judge to temporarily remove guns when a person poses a danger to themselves or others. If a court finds that a person poses a significant threat, that person is temporarily barred from purchasing and possessing guns. Twenty-two states and DC have passed these laws, including seventeen since 2018.

Secure Storage

Secure firearm storage can reduce the risks of suicide, unintentional shootings, and school shootings. An estimated 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked. Three-quarters of school shooters got their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens.

Suicide by Gun

Nearly six out of ten of all gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Gun suicides claim the lives of nearly 27,000 people in America every year--that’s an average of 73 deaths a day. But many of these deaths could be prevented if guns were taken out of the equation: access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide. In addition to enacting legislative solutions like the Extreme Risk Protection Order and secure firearm storage requirements, building public awareness about the suicide risks posed by firearm access is crucial to saving lives.

Ghost Guns

New products designed to evade gun laws--including widely available kits that easily convert unfinished parts into fully functional firearms and new capability in 3D printing technology--make it easy for prohibited people to make their own guns at home. These untraceable “ghost guns” can be assembled in less than an hour and let criminals skip the background check system. Ghost gun recoveries across the U.S. have seen an increase of more than 1,500% from 2017 to 2023, and have been connected with criminal enterprises, gun trafficking rings, and far-right extremists.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Abuse

Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than women in other high-income countries. And when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, the woman is five times more likely to be killed. Federal law prohibits many domestic abusers from possessing firearms, but states play a primary role in enforcement -- and can pass and enforce their own domestic violence laws. Evidence shows these state laws are especially effective at preventing gun violence if they require abusers to turn in their guns once they become prohibited.

Funding Community Violence Intervention

Community-based violence intervention programs apply a localized approach to address gun violence in neighborhoods with particularly high rates of gun violence. Numerous studies demonstrate that evidence-based intervention and prevention -- for example, through street- or hospital-based outreach -- can reduce gunshot woundings and deaths in the communities most impacted by gun violence. However, federal funding for community-based violence intervention programs faced attacks and uncertainty in 2025.

Public Carry of Firearms

Over the last several years, the gun lobby has gone from statehouse to statehouse seeking to enact “permitless carry,” which would pose a public safety risk by removing the requirement that a person get a permit before carrying a hidden, loaded handgun in public. These laws often remove important safety standards, such as denials for people who pose a danger or who have recent convictions for violent acts and requirements for safety training. Strong permit laws are critically important after the Supreme Court decision in Bruen struck down gold-standard provisions in some states. 

Police Use of Force and Accountability

Police violence is gun violence - 92 percent of civilian deaths caused by police are with a firearm, and Black people are victims at a disproportionate rate. Police shootings have a corrosive impact on our communities as they foster distrust which makes it harder for law enforcement to keep communities safe. Local leaders must commit to supporting targeted reforms that will help prevent shootings and build trust. These reforms should include: a strong legal standard barring the unnecessary use of force and a standard requiring officers to intervene to stop abuse, a commitment to de-escalation, deploying formal tools to identify misconduct, a thorough and independent review system for use of force incidents, and transparency about use of force and other policies and procedures.

Shoot First Laws

Shoot First laws, called “Stand Your Ground” by the gun lobby, allow people in public spaces, outside of their home, to shoot and kill others even if they could safely and easily avoid using deadly force. These Shoot First laws go well beyond traditional self-defense principles - emboldening vigilante violence and encouraging people to seek out confrontation. Shoot First laws are also associated with increases in firearm homicides.

Guns in Schools and Colleges

The gun lobby has campaigned in statehouses to allow guns in K-12 schools, to arm teachers, and even to force colleges and universities to allow guns onto their campuses. There is no evidence that arming teachers can help stop school shootings—on the contrary, there is evidence that this practice poses a range of serious potential risks and unintended harms to members of school communities, especially for children and teens. In addition, armed civilians are more likely to cause confusion when law enforcement respond to a shooting, and guns in schools may be accessed by children when not under the teacher’s control. College life is also full of risk factors that make the presence of guns dangerous, with research showing that college students face significant mental health challenges. Arming teachers and forcing guns onto college campuses is broadly opposed by law enforcement, students, and educators.

Preemption of Local Gun Safety Laws

After a decades-long effort by the gun lobby, most states now have some form of firearms preemption law, blocking towns and cities from adopting their own gun laws suited to local needs. These preemption laws often bar mayors and police chiefs from taking steps to address gun violence, and in some cases even have punitive provisions that leave taxpayers on the hook for court costs and fees. 

Addressing Gun Violence in America

Every day, nearly 130 people in the United States are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries. Data and research shows that common-sense public safety measures can reduce gun violence and save lives.

Background Checks

Federal law requires that a person pass a background check before buying a gun from a licensed firearm dealer. Since 1994, more than 5 million illegal gun sales have been blocked, including to people convicted of a felony, domestic abusers, and people barred due to mental illness. But the federal law does not apply if a person buys a gun from an unlicensed seller. This unlicensed market has flourished online, where sellers offer firearms for sale that would not legally require a background check. This loophole means that criminals can easily buy guns from strangers they meet online or at gun shows, with no questions asked.

Charleston Loophole

Federal law requires that licensed gun dealers run background checks on all potential gun buyers. But the Charleston loophole allows sales to proceed after three business days—even if a background check is not yet complete (named after the loophole the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooter exploited to acquire his firearm). The surge in background checks during the pandemic exacerbated this loophole, and in 2020, it is estimated that more than 409,000 background checks were unresolved after three business days and therefore could proceed, even without a completed background check.

Red Flag Laws

When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see warning signs. Red Flag laws, also called extreme risk laws, allow them to seek help from a court to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds there is evidence that a person poses a danger to themselves or others, the court can issue an order, temporarily barring the person from purchasing and possessing guns. Twenty-two states and DC have enacted these laws, including seventeen since the Parkland shooting in February 2018, and they have been shown to help prevent firearm suicide and can help prevent mass shootings.

Funding Community Violence Intervention

Community-based violence intervention programs apply a localized approach to address gun violence in neighborhoods with particularly high rates of gun violence. Numerous studies demonstrate that evidence-informed intervention and prevention -- for example, through street or hospital-based outreach -- can reduce gunshot woundings and deaths in the communities most impacted by gun violence. Governments have begun providing critical funding for these life-saving programs, however, the high levels of city gun violence requires sustained federal funding to support these proven interventions, and federal funding for community-based violence intervention programs faced attacks and uncertainty in 2025.

Secure Storage

Secure firearm storage can reduce the risks of suicide, unintentional shootings, and school shootings. An estimated 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked. Three-quarters of school shooters got their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition have a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens. 

Suicide by Gun

Nearly six out of 10 of all gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Gun suicides claim the lives of nearly 27,000 people in America every year--that’s an average of 73 deaths a day. But many of these deaths could be prevented if guns were taken out of the equation: access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide. In addition to enacting legislative solutions like Red Flag laws and secure firearm storage requirements, building public awareness about the suicide risk posed by firearm access is crucial to saving lives.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Abuse

Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than women in other high-income countries. And when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, the abused woman is five times more likely to be killed. In at least 46 percent of mass shootings where four or more people were killed, the perpetrator shot a current or former intimate partner or family member. Federal law prohibits many domestic abusers from possessing firearms, including abusive spouses and dating partners convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse - but more must be done to cover domestic abusers under restraining orders.

PLCAA Repeal

In 2005, at the strong urging of the gun lobby, Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), one of the biggest giveaways to private industry in American history, giving bad actors in the gun industry more protection from litigation than makers and sellers of cars or tobacco products. The gun lobby celebrated the passage of PLCAA on the day it was signed, calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Repealing PLCAA would hold bad actors in the gun industry accountable to the same rules as every other consumer product industry.

Funding for Gun Violence Research

Funding for the Centers for Disease Control and other public health agencies to study gun violence has been severely depressed for several decades, in large part due to gun lobby efforts to suppress public knowledge in this critical area. Congress has clarified that it is appropriate for the federal government to conduct research into the causes and solutions of gun violence. Congress has appropriated $25 million in several recent fiscal years to study gun violence, but this amount pales in comparison to the scope of the problem.

Gun Trafficking

The U.S. has a gun homicide rate 26 times higher than other high-income countries, with hundreds of thousands of guns illegally channeled into our communities, where they are used in shootings and other violent crimes. In recent years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been making significant progress in combating gun trafficking, but in 2025, ATF's mission was undercut, with resources and priorities shifted away from firearm trafficking and violent crime. ATF needs to prioritize regulating the gun industry and disrupting gun trafficking with sufficient resources in order to keep illegal guns off our streets.

Police Use of Force and Accountability

Police violence is gun violence - 92 percent of deaths of civilians caused by police are with a firearm, and Black people are victims at a disproportionate rate. Police shootings have a corrosive impact on our communities as they foster distrust which makes it harder for law enforcement to keep communities safe. Critical reforms should include: a strong legal standard barring the unnecessary use of force and a standard requiring officers to intervene to stop abuse, a commitment to de-escalation, deploying formal tools to identify misconduct, a thorough and independent review system for use of force incidents, and transparency about use of force and other policies and procedures.

Concealed Carry Mandate

The standards for who may carry a hidden, loaded gun in public have always been a matter of state law. The concealed carry standards vary widely across states: While some states require that a person receive live-fire safety training and have no violent criminal offenses on their record, a growing number of states allow carry by people with no permit—or background check—whatsoever. And yet, even as some states are gutting their own permit systems, the gun lobby wants to enact a federal "concealed carry mandate" which would force each state to accept the carry standards of all other states, even those with significantly weaker standards. 

Guns In Schools

There is no evidence that arming teachers can help to stop active shooters—on the contrary, there is evidence that this practice poses a range of serious potential risks and unintended harms to members of school communities, especially for children and teens. In addition, armed civilians are more likely to cause confusion when law enforcement respond to a shooting, and guns in schools may be accessed by children when not under the teacher's control. However, the gun lobby is promoting laws to arm teachers and school staff—and the training requirements to become an armed teacher are minimal compared to basic law enforcement training in each state, with gun lobby bills often requiring no minimum training at all for teachers. This policy is broadly opposed by law enforcement, parents, and teachers.

Addressing Gun Violence in America

Every day, nearly 130 people in the United States are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries. Data and research show that common-sense public safety measures can reduce gun violence and save lives.

Background Checks

Federal law requires that a person pass a background check before buying a gun from a licensed firearm dealer. Since 1994, more than 5 million illegal gun sales have been blocked, including to people convicted of a felony, domestic abusers, and people prohibited due to mental illness. But the federal background check law does not apply if a person buys a gun from an unlicensed seller. This means that criminals can easily buy guns from strangers they meet online or at gun shows, with no background check and no questions asked.

Extreme Risk Protection Order

When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see when a person is showing warning signs of being a danger to themselves or others. Extreme Risk laws, often called “Red Flag” laws, allow them to ask a judge to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds that a person poses a significant threat to themselves or others, that person is temporarily prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns. Twenty-two states and DC have passed these laws, including seventeen since 2018.

Secure Storage

Secure firearm storage can reduce the risks of suicide, unintentional shootings, and school shootings. It is estimated that 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked. Three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens.

Addressing Gun Violence in America

Every day, nearly 130 people in the United States are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries. Data and research shows that common-sense public safety measures can reduce gun violence and save lives.

Background Checks

Federal law requires that a person pass a background check before buying a gun from a licensed firearm dealer. Since 1994, more than 5 million illegal gun sales have been blocked, including to people convicted of a felony, domestic abusers, and people prohibited due to mental illness. But the federal background check law does not apply if a person buys a gun from an unlicensed seller. This means that criminals can easily buy guns from strangers they meet online or at gun shows, with no background check and no questions asked.

Extreme Risk Protection Order

When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see when a person is showing warning signs of being a danger to themselves or others. Extreme Risk laws, often called Red Flag laws, allow them to ask a judge to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds that a person poses a significant threat to themselves or others, that person is temporarily prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns. Twenty-two states and DC have passed these laws, including seventeen since 2018.

Secure Storage

Secure firearm storage can reduce the risks of suicide, unintentional shootings, and school shootings. It is estimated that 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked. Three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens.

Suicide by Gun

Ghost Guns

New products designed to evade gun laws--including widely available kits that easily convert unfinished parts into fully functional firearms and new capability in 3D printing technology--make it easy for prohibited people to make their own guns at home. These untraceable “ghost guns” can be assembled in less than an hour and let criminals evade the background check system. Ghost gun recoveries across the U.S. have seen an increase of more than %1,500 from 2017 to 2023, and have recently been connected with criminal enterprises, gun trafficking rings, and far-right extremists.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Abuse

Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than women in other high-income countries. And when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, the woman is five times more likely to be killed. Federal law prohibits many domestic abusers from possessing firearms, but states play a primary role in enforcement -- and can pass and enforce their own domestic violence laws. Evidence shows these state laws are especially effective at preventing gun violence if they require abusers to turn in their guns once they become prohibited.

Funding Community Violence Intervention

Community-based violence intervention programs apply a localized approach to address gun violence in neighborhoods with particularly high rates of gun violence. Numerous studies demonstrate that evidence-based intervention and prevention--for example, through street or hospital-based outreach – can reduce retaliatory gunshot woundings and deaths in the communities most impacted by gun violence. While there is no uniform formula, community stakeholders can help determine the appropriate amount of funding, and federal funding for community-based violence intervention programs faced attacks and uncertainty in 2025.

Public Carry of Firearms

Over the last several years, the gun lobby has gone from statehouse to statehouse seeking to enact “permitless carry,” which would pose a public safety risk by removing the requirement that a person get a permit before carrying a hidden, loaded handgun in public. These laws often remove important safety standards, such as denials for people who pose a danger or who have recent convictions for violent acts and requirements for safety training. Strong permit laws are critically important after the Supreme Court decision in Bruen struck down gold-standard provisions in some states.

Police Use of Force and Accountability

Police violence is gun violence - 92 percent of deaths of civilians caused by police are with a firearm, and Black people are victims at a disproportionate rate. Police shootings have a corrosive impact on our communities as they foster distrust which makes it harder for law enforcement to keep communities safe. Law enforcement leaders must commit to supporting targeted reforms that will help prevent shootings and build trust. These reforms should include: a strong legal standard barring the unnecessary use of force and a standard requiring officers to intervene to stop abuse, a commitment to de-escalation, deploying formal tools to identify misconduct, a thorough and independent review system for use of force incidents, and transparency about use of force and other policies and procedures.

Shoot First Laws

Shoot First laws, called “Stand Your Ground” by the gun lobby, allow people in public spaces, outside of their home, to shoot and kill others even if they could safely and easily avoid using deadly force. These Shoot First laws go well beyond traditional self-defense principles - emboldening vigilante violence and encouraging people to seek out confrontation. Shoot First laws are also associated with increases in firearm homicides.

Guns in Schools and Colleges

In recent years, the gun lobby has campaigned in statehouses to allow guns in K-12 schools, to arm teachers, and even to force colleges and universities to allow guns on their campuses. There is no evidence that arming teachers can help deter, mitigate, or intervene to stop active shooters—on the contrary, there is evidence that this practice poses a range of serious potential risks and unintended harms to members of school communities, especially for children and teens. In addition, guns are more likely to complicate law enforcement response during an incident, and to be accessed by children when not under the teacher’s control. College life is also full of risk factors that make the presence of guns dangerous, with research showing that college students face significant mental health challenges. Arming teachers and forcing guns onto college campuses are broadly opposed by law enforcement, students, and educators.

Assault weapons have been shown to increase the number of people killed and wounded in mass shootings—as they enable shooters to fire more quickly and with more destructive force. Researchers have found that the federal prohibition on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was associated with a significant decrease in public mass shootings and related casualties.

Addressing Gun Violence in America

Every day, 130 people in the United States are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries. Data and research shows that common-sense public safety measures can reduce gun violence and save lives.

Arming Teachers/Guns in Schools

Increasingly, the gun lobby is promoting laws to arm teachers and school staff. But there is no evidence that arming teachers can help deter, mitigate, or intervene to stop active shooters—on the contrary, there is evidence that this practice poses a range of serious potential risks and unintended harms to members of school communities, especially children and teens. In addition, armed civilians are more likely to cause confusion when law enforcement respond to a shooting, and guns in schools heighten risks of unintentional shootings and may be accessed by children when not under the teacher’s control. This policy is broadly opposed by law enforcement, parents, and teachers.

Threat Assessment, Mental Health Support and Tip Lines

A 2019 analysis of mass shootings and attempted mass shootings at schools determined that in 91 percent of incidents, the shooter was a current or former student. Threat assessment programs, which generally consist of multidisciplinary teams of school administrators, counselors, teachers, and other community members, who work to intervene when students demonstrate warning signs that they are a threat to themselves or others, are an effective way to intervene to prevent violence and get students the help they need.

Secure Storage Notification

Secure firearm storage can reduce the risks of gun violence in schools, youth suicide and unintentional shootings. It is estimated that 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked, and three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens, compared to those that locked neither. Awareness of the need to secure guns and store them locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition are critical. School boards can help build this awareness by reminding parents of their obligation to store guns securely to protect their families and the school community.

Suicide by Gun

Nearly six out of 10 of all gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Gun suicides claim the lives of nearly 27,000 people in America every year--that’s an average of 73 deaths a day. But many of these deaths could be prevented if guns were taken out of the equation: access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide. In addition to enacting legislative solutions like the Extreme Risk Protection Order and secure firearm storage requirements, building public awareness about the suicide risks posed by firearm access is crucial to saving lives.

Active Shooter Drills

While active shooter drills are a widely used school safety strategy, there is minimal evidence that they are effective. In fact, evidence has emerged that active shooter drills can have a negative effect on the mental and physical well-being of students, teachers, and the larger community. This underscores the importance of prioritizing other school safety strategies above active shooter drills and leaving students out of these drills when possible. If schools choose to involve students in drills, they should provide advance notice to parents, students, and educators, avoid mimicking real incidents, adopt trauma-informed approaches, and collect data about their effectiveness and their impact on students.

School Resource Officers (SROs)

While SROs have not been shown to reduce gun violence in schools, research has identified conclusive evidence of three types of negative effects: criminalizing student misconduct, repercussions on student learning, disproportionately impacting students from historically marginalized groups. Schools should avoid or reconsider having police officers in schools and if they do choose to have police officers or other security, they should have rules in place ensuring that they are not playing a role in discipline or administration.

Background Checks

Federal law requires that a person pass a background check before buying a gun from a licensed firearm dealer. Since 1994, more than 5 million illegal gun sales have been blocked, including to people convicted of a felony, domestic abusers, and people prohibited due to mental illness. But the federal background check law does not apply if a person buys a gun from an unlicensed seller. This unlicensed market has flourished online, where sellers offer firearms for sale that would not legally require a background check. This loophole means that criminals and students under 18 can easily buy guns from strangers they meet online or at gun shows, with no background check and no questions asked. 22 states and DC require background checks on at least all handgun sales and elected officials can close this loophole by passing laws extending background checks to sales by unlicensed sellers.

Extreme Risk Protection Order

When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see when a person is showing warning signs of being a danger to themselves or others. Extreme Risk laws, often called Red Flag laws, allow them to ask a judge to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds that a person poses a significant threat to themselves or others, that person is temporarily prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns. Twenty-two states and DC have passed these laws, including seventeen since 2018. Extreme Risk Protection Orders are important tools to keep guns away from students and others who are showing warning signs. For example, Maryland’s Extreme Risk law has been invoked in at least four cases involving “significant threats” against schools, according to the leaders of the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Abuse

Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than women in other high-income countries. And when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, the woman is five times more likely to be killed. Federal law prohibits many domestic abusers from possessing firearms, but states play a primary role in enforcement -- and can pass and enforce their own domestic violence laws. Evidence shows these state laws are especially effective at preventing gun violence if they require abusers to turn in their guns once they become prohibited.

Open Carry

The presence of a visible gun can make people more aggressive and heighten the risk of violent conflict. The open carry of firearms has also been used to intimidate and harm peaceful protesters. In recent years, the legal open carry of firearms has led to confusion in dangerous situations, impeding police from preventing shootings.

Assault weapons have been shown to increase the number of people killed and wounded in mass shootings—as they enable shooters to fire more quickly and with more destructive force. Researchers have found that the federal prohibition on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was associated with a significant decrease in public mass shootings and related casualties.

Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action are committed to creating a movement and culture that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable, and being intentional about the intersectional nature of our work. To that end, candidates who apply for the Gun Sense Candidate distinction should not only be ready to commit to governing with gun safety in mind, but must also commit to ensuring that their words and actions promote equity across all communities.

Addressing Gun Violence in America

Every day, 120 people in the United States are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than that of other industrialized countries. Data and research shows that common-sense public safety measures can reduce gun violence and save lives.

Arming Teachers/Guns in Schools

Increasingly, the gun lobby is promoting laws to arm teachers and school staff. But there is no evidence that arming teachers can help deter, mitigate, or intervene to stop active shooters—and on the contrary, armed civilians are more likely to cause confusion when law enforcement respond to a shooting, and guns in schools may be accessed by children when not under the teacher’s control. This policy is broadly opposed by law enforcement, parents, and teachers.

Threat Assessment, Mental Health Support and Tip Lines

A 2019 analysis of mass shootings and attempted mass shootings at schools determined that in 91% of incidents, the shooter was a current or former student. Threat assessment programs, which generally consist of multidisciplinary teams of school administrators, counselors, teachers, and other community members, who work to intervene when students demonstrate warning signs that they are a threat to themselves or others, are an effective way to intervene to prevent violence and get students the help they need.

Secure Storage Notification

Secure firearm storage can reduce the risks of gun violence in schools and youth suicide and unintentional shootings. It is estimated that 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked, and studies have found that three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative.s. One study found that households that stored guns locked and unloaded is also associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children, compared to those that locked neither. Awareness of the need to secure guns and store them locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition are critical. School boards can help build this awareness by reminding parents of their obligation to store guns securely to protect their families and the school community.

Suicide by Gun

Nearly six out of 10 of all gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Gun suicides claim the lives of nearly 25,000 people in America every year--that’s an average of 68 deaths a day. But many of these deaths could be prevented if guns were taken out of the equation: access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide. In addition to enacting legislative solutions like the Extreme Risk Protection Order and secure firearm storage requirements, building public awareness about the suicide risked posed by firearm access is crucial to saving lives.

Active Shooter Drills

While active shooter drills are a widely used school safety strategy, there is minimal evidence that they are effective. In fact, evidence has emerged that active shooter drills can have a negative effect on the mental and physical well-being of students. This underscores the importance of prioritizing other school safety strategies above active shooter drills and leaving students out of these drills when possible. If schools choose to involve students in drills, they should provide advance notice to parents, students, and educators, avoid mimicking real incidents, adopt trauma-informed approaches, and collect data about their drills and their impact on students.

School Resource Officers (SROs)

While a number of rigorous studies have concluded that SROs do not reduce gun violence in schools, research has identified conclusive evidence of three types of negative effects: criminalizing student misconduct, repercussions on student learning, and impact on students from historically marginalized groups. Schools should avoid or reconsider having police officers in schools and if they do choose to have police officers or other security, they should have rules in place ensuring that they are not playing a role in discipline or administration.

Background Checks

Federal law requires that a person pass a background check before buying a gun from a licensed firearm dealer. Since 1994, more than 4 million illegal gun sales have been blocked, including to convicted felons, domestic abusers, and people prohibited due to mental illness. But the federal background check law does not apply if a person buys a gun from an unlicensed seller. Each year, just one website had 1.2 million online ads offering firearms for sale that would not legally require a background check to be completed. This loophole means that criminals and students under 18 can easily buy guns from strangers they meet online or at gun shows, with no background check and no questions asked. 21 states require background checks on at least all handgun sales and elected officials can close this loophole by passing laws extending background checks to sales by unlicensed sellers.

Extreme Risk Protection Order

When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see when a person is showing warning signs of being a danger to themselves or others. Extreme Risk laws, often called Red Flag laws, allow them to ask a judge to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds that a person poses a significant threat to themselves or others, that person is temporarily prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns. Nineteen states and DC have passed these laws, including fourteen since 2018. Extreme Risk Protection orders are important tools to keep guns away from students and others who are showing warning signs. For example, Maryland’s Extreme Risk law has been invoked in at least four cases involving “significant threats” against schools, according to the leaders of the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Abuse

Women in the U.S. are 28 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than women in other industrialized countries. And when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, a woman is five times more likely to be killed. Federal law prohibits many domestic abusers from possessing firearms, but states play a primary role in enforcement -- and can pass and enforce their own domestic violence laws. Evidence shows these state laws are especially effective at preventing gun violence if they require abusers to turn in their guns once they become prohibited.

Open Carry

The presence of a visible gun can make people more aggressive and heighten the risk of violent conflict. The open carry of firearms has also been used to intimidate and harm peaceful protesters. In recent years, the legal open carry of firearms has led to confusion in dangerous situations, impeding police from preventing shootings.