National Violence Prevention Network Statement on Gun Violence Research
The National Violence Prevention Network (NVPN), a coalition of local, state, and national organizations dedicated to violent death prevention, is again greatly saddened by the mass shooting incidents that happened over the past week. At least 32 people were killed and 52 wounded in Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
More than 100 people are shot to death every day in America. Nearly 40,000[1] people in the United States were killed with guns in 2017, reaching the highest number of gun deaths in 40 years. Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed in a gun homicide compared to people in peer countries[2]. Yet without adequate data and research on these violent deaths, it is impossible to implement evidence-based public policies to address this epidemic.
“Strong data and research are necessary to study the causes of gun violence in America, including mass shootings, homicides, and suicides,” stated Donna Grande, CEO of the American College of Preventive Medicine, the convener of the National Violence Prevention Network. “This is a public health emergency that has been woefully underfunded for far too long. It is time for Congress to make the investments needed to begin to address this crisis.”
NVPN strongly urges Congress to fund at least $50 million for gun violence research and $25.5 million for the National Violent Death Reporting System in the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget.
The National Violence Prevention Network (NVPN) is a broad-based coalition of local, state, and national organizations dedicated to violent death prevention by advocating for the full implementation of the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) in the United States.
Media Contact:
Drew Wallace
Communications Specialist
dwallace@acpm.org
(202) 602-6040
[1] https://lawcenter.giffords.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Giffords-Law-Center-Facts-about-Gun-Violence.pdf
[2] https://lawcenter.giffords.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Giffords-Law-Center-Facts-about-Gun-Violence.pdf