Op-Ed: Gun violence is a public health crisis in North Carolina

On June 25th, the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a “public health crisis” in America. This declaration shed light on the urgent need for collective action to address the alarming rates of gun-related incidents impacting communities nationwide. 

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis stated that he introduced the Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act to “prevent left-wing politicians from declaring a fake ‘public health crisis’ to violate Second Amendment rights.”

Let’s talk about the numbers in North Carolina from 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive:

• There were at least 1,744 shootings.
• At least 774 people were killed. 
• At least 1,497 people were injured. 
• There were 33 mass shootings, which are defined as 4+ victims injured or killed excluding the perpetrator. 

It has been over two years since Tillis worked on the first federal gun safety legislation enacted in 28 years, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 

Despite the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which signified a step forward in federal gun control legislation, the state has seen a continued increase in gun violence with continued inaction from Senator Tillis. His persistent reluctance to take meaningful action in the face of escalating gun violence in North Carolina remains a source of deep concern. 

What more could Senator Tillis do?

About four months after the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a 15-year-old used his father’s unsecured guns and fatally shot his brother, three neighbors and an off-duty Raleigh police officer. 

S.173, Ethan’s Law would require that gun owners safely and securely store their firearms. This harrowing event underscored the urgent need for additional measures to ensure responsible gun ownership, such as the implementation of Ethan’s Law, which would mandate safe storage practices for firearms.

According to a report released by the Secret Service, it was revealed that a staggering 76% of school shooters use a household family member’s or relative’s UNSECURED firearm. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for increased gun safety measures, especially in homes with children and adolescents. 

The widespread availability and accessibility of unsecured firearms have contributed to making firearm injury the primary cause of death among young individuals aged 0 to 19 in the United States.

The recent massacre in Charlotte, where four law enforcement officers lost their lives to an assailant armed with an AR-15 while carrying out their duties, serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of gun violence in our communities. Researchers estimate if we still had a federal assault weapons ban, we’d suffer 70% fewer mass shooting deaths. 

The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which claimed the life of a spectator and left several others critically injured, further underscores the urgent need for gun safety measures like the Assault Weapons Ban, which aims to restrict access to weapons designed for warfare. These firearms, specifically crafted for combat situations, are the weapons of choice in mass shootings in North Carolina and nationwide.

Despite mounting pressure and the gravity of the situation, Senator Tillis’ response continues to fall short. 

The unimaginable loss of lives due to gun violence in North Carolina demands urgent and decisive action, yet the senator’s apparent indifference and reliance on past legislation as a shield against criticism only perpetuates the ongoing crisis. 

The failure to engage with crucial lifesaving proposals such as Ethan’s Law and the Assault Weapons Ban, choosing instead to lean on dated accomplishments, serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for proactive and comprehensive strategies to address the relentless scourge of gun violence. 

Senator Tillis cannot afford to remain passive in the face of such a pressing emergency; the time for meaningful action is now.