Georgia Moms Demand Action Statement in Response to Domestic Violence-Related Mass Shooting That Killed Four, Including Two Children

See Everytown for Gun Safety’s Full Analysis of Mass Shootings in America Here

The Georgia Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America released the below statement today in response to the mass shooting on Saturday afternoon in Douglas County, Georgia, in which four people were killed and two others were injured. In an apparent murder-suicide, a male shooter reportedly shot and killed his ex-wife, a 33-year-old man, a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. Additionally, a 15-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl were shot and injured during the rampage in a suburban neighborhood outside of Atlanta. Media reports indicate the shooter was the father of the two children killed.

This event marks the 118th mass shooting in America since 2009. A previously released report from Everytown for Gun Safety provides a comprehensive analysis of incidents in which four or more people were murdered, a widely used definition of mass shooting from the FBI. Among the findings is that in at least 57 percent of mass shootings between January 2009 and July 2014, the gunman shot and killed a current or former intimate partner or family member. In addition, mass shootings have a disproportionate impact on women – whereas women make up only 15 percent of total gun homicide victims, they make up 51 percent of mass shooting victims.

STATEMENT FROM LINDSEY DONOVAN, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE GEORGIA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION:

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. While details are still unfolding, the tragedy this weekend took the lives of innocent people and injured others – including children – by a single act of gun violence. This tragic shooting demonstrates just how deadly the connection between domestic violence and gun violence can be – and it’s a heartbreaking example of how mass shootings are too often related to domestic violence. Instead of putting more guns in more places, Georgia should be focused on working toward keeping guns out of dangerous hands so that we can help prevent future tragedies. The sister of the gunman reportedly said: ‘My brother should have never had a gun.’ In the coming days, we’ll learn more about that comment – but this grief stricken sister says what we often say after a tragedy. It’s time we stand up for Georgians and work toward preventing shootings that will take the lives of innocent children and residents across the state.”

Key Findings from Everytown’s Analysis of Recent Mass Shootings:

• In at least 57 percent of the mass shootings between January 2009 and July 2014, the shooter killed a current or former intimate partner or family member.
• Mass shootings have a disproportionate impact on women – whereas women make up only 15 percent of total gun homicide victims, they make up 51 percent of mass shooting victims.

Key Everytown Research on Guns and Domestic Violence:

• Women in the U.S. are 11 times more likely to be murdered with guns than they are in any other developed nation.
• More than half of women murdered with guns in the U.S. — 51 percent — are killed by intimate partners or family members.
• The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that the woman will be killed.