The Florida 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 Thursday night shooting in Miami Gardens, Florida. According to reports, ten people were shot and wounded in the parking lot of The Licking Restaurant during the filming of a music video.
“Gun violence continues to rock our communities — everywhere we go we have to look over our shoulders,” said Lindsey Shook, a volunteer with the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Despite these ongoing senseless acts of gun violence, Governor Ron DeSantis and our state leaders continue to support dangerous policies like permitless carry. In these moments we need leaders at all levels to have the courage to strengthen our gun laws and take a comprehensive approach toward funding community violence intervention programs across the state.”
State and local leaders have a vital role to play in combating gun violence and in the wake of previous tragedies they have passed several gun safety measures such as raising the age to own a firearm and pass Extreme Risk laws which have proven to save lives over the years. However, Governor DeSantis and other lawmakers publicly committed themselves to passing permitless carry this year. Permitless carry legislation would allow people to carry firearms, openly or concealed, in public places without a permit, criminal history check, or safety training, dismantling Florida’s system of responsible gun ownership. Instead of pushing dangerous policies that are proven to make communities less safe, Florida lawmakers should be working to advance common sense gun safety measures that will save lives.
While there is no one solution to end gun violence, Community Violence Intervention Programs play a key role in making cities safer. By utilizing a public health model, these community-led programs have been shown to reduce gun violence in some of the most heavily impacted neighborhoods. These programs are often uniquely situated to address violence in their communities, but they need support from policymakers in order to sustain and expand their life-saving work. Leaders and legislators must invest in these community-driven, evidence-based interventions.
In an average year over 2,800 people are killed by guns in Florida, and over 2,400 more are shot and wounded. Gun violence costs Florida $40.3 billion each year, of which $875.9 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Florida is available here.