3 Ways Policymakers Can Help Prevent Gun Violence in Michigan

As Michigan continues to confront the ongoing public health crises of both coronavirus and gun violence, lawmakers must consider the root causes of gun violence and act on proven, comprehensive solutions to save lives. 

Gun violence is not isolated to big cities in Michigan and is not a new phenomenon – it is a continuation of the gun violence that existed before the pandemic, which exacerbated the root causes of gun violence and created unprecedented challenges for community violence intervention groups. 
To prevent gun violence leaders must address its underlying causes and should be

• Stemming the flow of guns into cities by strengthening Michigan’s gun laws
• Investing in life-saving local intervention groups like Crimestoppers, DLIVE, and Occupy the Corner.
• Dismantling the racist policies and systems that created the conditions where public health crises like gun violence thrive.

Gun violence has increased across the country throughout the pandemic, starting well before the protests over the killing of George Floyd – and the Trump Administration’s threat to send federal agents into Detroit and other Michigan cities is a dangerous attempt to blame Black Lives Matter protesters for ongoing violence. 

Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers are available for interviews. Statistics about gun violence in Michigan are available here, and information on how Michigan’s gun laws compare to other states overall is available here.