Gunman Murdered Four, Including Ex-Girlfriend, In Three Attacks Across North-Central West Virginia
In response to reports that four people were murdered in Monongalia County, the West Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America released the statement below. While details are still unfolding, it has been reported that Jody Lee Hunt, 39, of Westover, allegedly killed four people, including a woman who filed a domestic violence case against him last month. Research by Everytown for Gun Safety shows that more than half of mass shootings involve domestic violence – and that 38 percent fewer women are shot to death by intimate partners in states that require background checks for all handgun sales.
While previously living in Virginia, Hunt was charged with abduction and use of a firearm in an abduction in January 1999 and convicted by guilty plea shortly thereafter. Under federal and state law, he is prohibited from buying and owning guns. Hunt is still at large.
Statement From Dee Price Childers, Volunteer with the West Virginia Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of today’s mass shooting in West Virginia, and we pray that the gunman responsible for this senseless violence will be apprehended quickly without any further loss of life. This terrible tragedy is yet another reminder of just how easy it is for convicted felons to get their hands on deadly weapons thanks to background check loopholes in federal and state law – and just how often domestic violence turns into deadly gun violence. Most West Virginians agree that keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people goes hand in hand with our Second Amendment rights. We know that background checks save lives, and it’s long past time for our elected leaders to take action to protect West Virginian – and American – families from the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence.”
About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2.5 million members and more than 40,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter at @MomsDemand