Everytown, Arizona Moms Respond to Phoenix Domestic Violence-Related Mass Shooting That Killed Four

PHOENIX – The Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement in response to a reported shooting that took place in a Phoenix home early Tuesday morning. The alleged gunman, who was reportedly a son in the family, shot and killed four people before killing himself. The identities of the victims and the shooter have not yet been released, and the relationship among the victims has not been confirmed.

There have been at least three mass shootings in America since the beginning of 2016 and at least 144 mass shootings since 2009. A previously released report from Everytown about mass shootings provides a comprehensive analysis of incidents in which four or more people – not including the shooter – are shot and killed. The analysis found that more than half (57 percent) of these mass shooting incidents were related to domestic violence.

Last May, Everytown and the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence released a report that found 62 percent of women killed by intimate partners in Arizona were shot to death. The report also found that Arizona’s rate of intimate partner gun homicide is 45 percent higher than the national average.

STATEMENT FROM GENEVA HABER, A VOLUNTEER LEADER WITH THE ARIZONA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with all those who were affected by the horrific mass shooting that took place this morning. We don’t know all the details yet, but we do know that four innocent people, including a child, were senselessly killed in their home – a place where they should have been safe. More than half of all mass shootings are related to domestic violence. Despite the domestic nature of these types of shootings, they don’t always stay relegated to the home or even the family. Arizona’s elected leaders must do more to keep Arizonans safe at home and in their communities. Moms across the state urge them to stand up for public safety and do more to keep guns out of dangerous hands.”