Domestic Abuser Kills Pregnant Woman, Police Officer; Another Cop Was Injured in Early Morning Attack; Nine Officers in Keystone State Have Been Shot In The Line Of Duty in 2016; Current Pennsylvania Law Doesn’t Require That Domestic Abusers Subject to Final Protection Orders Turn in Their Guns
HARRISBURG, Pa.— The Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today responded to reports of a domestic violence incident that left a pregnant woman and a police officer dead and another officer injured. The two officers from the Canonsburg Police Department who responded to the incident were shot, one fatally, in the predawn hours of Thursday morning.
The female victim reportedly had a protection from abuse order. A final protection from abuse order would have prohibited the shooter from possessing guns at the time of the incident. However, current Pennsylvania law does not require individuals subject to a final protection from abuse order to relinquish firearms already in their possession. For the last two years, Everytown and Moms have been working with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence on legislation to close this dangerous loophole.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety research, this is at least the 190th police shooting this year. The officer who was killed is the 52nd police officer to be killed in the line of duty this year, and the officer who was injured was the 195th officer to be shot and injured in the line of duty this year.
STATEMENT FROM JENNA PAULAT, VOLUNTEER WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION:
“Early this morning, a female victim of abuse and a pair of Canonsburg police offers were shot. The woman and one of the officers were killed. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victim and to the officer who died while working to keep his community safe and pray that the injured officer will recover. The tragedy reminds us yet again that weak laws add to the difficulty of a policer officer’s job, while also failing to provide protection to those citizens who are at high risk of experiencing gun violence. Horrific acts like the one that occurred this morning underscore that there is so much more to be done to keep guns away from dangerous people here in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Moms will honor the legacy of the officer and woman who were killed by continuing to fight for laws that help keep all our citizens safer from gun violence.”