Yesterday, dozens of volunteers with the New Mexico chapter of Moms Demand Action, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, made their way to the Roundhouse to urge lawmakers to prioritize gun safety legislation starting with SB 5, extreme risk protection order legislation. Amid the snowstorm, volunteers were focused on meeting with lawmakers and encouraging them to focus on common-sense solutions to keep New Mexicans safe from gun violence. During the day, volunteers held 50 meetings with legislators.
Extreme risk laws have been proven to save lives – especially reducing suicide. New Mexico has the seventh-highest rate of gun suicides in the country. Nearly 250 people in New Mexico die by gun suicide every year. And on average, one New Mexico resident dies by firearm suicide every 35 hours. An extreme risk law would allow family and law enforcement to intervene before tragedy strikes by seeking a court order to temporarily remove guns from situations where someone could hurt themselves or others.
Here are some photos from the New Mexico chapter’s advocacy day:
Statistics about gun violence in New Mexico are available here, and information on how New Mexico’s gun laws compare to other states’ overall is available here.
If you have any questions, or would like to speak with volunteers with New Mexico Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action or survivors of gun violence, please don’t hesitate to reach out.