On an average day in the United States, 320 people are shot with a firearm, and approximately 90 people die from a gunshot wound.

I want  you to re-read the fact above. Think about it. America, what are we doing wrong? 320 lives are hit with a bullet within 24 hours meaning one human is shot every 4.5 minutes.  Since October 15, 2015, there have been more civilians killed by guns in the United States than soldiers have been killed on the battlefield in all of the wars in American history by any means. (Hemenway, Director of the Harvard Injury Control Research & Youth Violence Prevention) Gun violence is the leading cause of premature death in the U.S. Guns kill almost 33,000 people and cause 80,000 injuries each year. Longtime advocates for violence prevention policies (eg: APHA) recognizes a comprehensive public health approach to address this growing crisis is necessary.

The issue of gun violence is complex and deeply rooted in our culture, which is why we must take a smart public health approach to ensuring our families and communities are safe. We must place a renewed emphasis on improving gun violence research. Ongoing work is needed to ensure firearms do not fall into the wrong hands and to expand access to mental health services to those who need it most.

Remember those numbers America and every moment you see or hear a gun think of the 320 humans injured by irresponsible gun use each day. With gun killings on pace to be the primary cause of death for young people under the age of 25, the very future of our nation is at stake. I, for one, refuse to sit by and watch gun violence rob us of a generation. The time is now to take a proactive approach to preventing gun violence in our community, not a reactive one.

To report gun violence/safety contact your city police department. For more information on gun violence, gun safety, gun control, ways to get involved, and more you can visit any of these sources:

www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports

www.gunviolencearchive.org

www.apha.com (American Public Health Association)

@GunDeaths (Gun Violence Archive) via Twitter