Indiana Has the 18th Highest Rate of Gun Deaths in the Nation
INDIANAPOLIS — Today, the Indiana chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statements after the legislature adjourned without passing any gun violence prevention bills. Despite Rep. Gore introducing policies to create secure firearm storage requirements, a foundational gun safety bill, Republican lawmakers outright rejected these measures.
“As our communities continue to get slaughtered in our streets, Indiana lawmakers have made it abundantly clear that they don’t care if we live or die,” said Heather Hilbert, a volunteer with the Indiana chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Another year goes by and once again, our lawmakers have shown us their true colors: they care about checks from the extremist gun lobby, not our lives. We will continue our advocacy and continue to be loud because our families’ lives depend on it.”
“When gun violence is the number one killer of my generation, it’s a slap in the face to students like myself that our lawmakers failed to act on gun safety this session,” said Cade Smithson, a volunteer with University of Southern Indiana Students Demand Action chapter. “We deserve better than inaction. That’s why we’ll keep showing up, keep testifying, and keep holding politicians accountable when they refuse to address gun violence. This crisis is preventable and we’ll never stop fighting for the safety of our communities.”
Indiana has weak gun violence prevention laws, ranking 27th in state gun laws strength. Indiana has one of the higher rates of gun homicides in the country—a rate that increased from 2014 to 2023, higher than the nationwide increase. While Indiana was a pioneer with its Extreme Risk law in 2005, which was one of the first in the nation, it has been over a decade without any substantive progress in combating gun violence. Now, Indiana lacks all other foundational laws and recently repealed its concealed carry permitting requirement.
This year, the Indiana chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action are back at the State House to advocate for legislators reject dangerous bills and instead prioritize common sense gun safety legislation.