The Georgia chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement in response to a shooting in Moultrie. While details are still emerging, initial reporting shows at least three dead, including the shooter’s mom and grandmother in their homes, before killing a woman at the local McDonald’s. Reportedly, the shooter had been a previous employee at the McDonald’s and the woman killed was a manager.
“Once again, our state has been rocked by senseless acts of gun violence,” said Insherah Qazi, a volunteer with Students Demand Action in Georgia. “This has become the painful cyclical norm – our communities don’t even get the chance to grieve before the next tragedy occurs. Georgia lawmakers have the ability to protect their constituents and we are reaping the consequences of their inaction.”
This shooting comes on the heels of yesterday’s tragic shooting at a medical building in midtown Atlanta, where at least one person was killed and four others were wounded. The Georgia State legislature’s “guns everywhere” agenda continues to endanger Georgians by allowing guns to be carried nearly anywhere in the state. Last session, Georgia repealed the requirement that a person gets a permit and passes a background check to carry a concealed handgun in public, despite 88 percent of Americans agreeing a permit should be required before carrying a concealed gun. These dangerous gun laws have and continue to make Georgians less safe. Gun violence costs Georgia $23.9 billion each year, of which $597.8 million is paid by taxpayers.
Georgia suffers from some of the weakest gun laws in the country and in an average year, 1,868 people die by guns in Georgia, and 4,321 more are wounded. With a rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 people, Georgia has the 17th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. In Georgia, 31 women were fatally shot by a partner in 2020 and 82% of female intimate partner homicide victims are killed with a gun. To speak to a Georgia volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a volunteer with Students Demand Action, or a policy expert, please contact [email protected].