A Weekend of Gun Violence, A Call to Action

Plus: Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Honoring with Action and more >>>

Friend,   Last weekend, we saw multiple mass shootings that devastated communities across the country.    Four people were killed and eight others were injured in a shooting at a Michigan church. In North Carolina, a gunman armed with a semi-automatic, short-barreled rifle killed three people and injured eight more. Four people were shot in a Raleigh, NC, parking lot. Four others were shot in Alexandria, LA. Two people were shot and killed and five others were injured at a Texas casino.   But in a country where gun violence has become normalized, these shootings barely made headlines.   In any other country, a single mass shooting would be enough for leaders to take action and stop the violence, once and for all. We've seen that happen in Austria, Norway, and Australia. Yet, in America, numerous mass shootings in a single weekend find lawmakers silent, idle.    In fact, to make matters worse, the Trump administration continues to bow down to the gun industry, putting profits over our lives. Just days ago, the Commerce Department slashed restrictions on firearm exports, making it easier for criminals and terrorists across the globe to obtain illicit weapons.   We cannot accept these attacks on our safety, friend. Gun violence affects every part of American life, from grocery shopping, going to the movies, and even going to church. Tragedy after tragedy has happened in spaces and in communities that were once thought to be safe.   We're calling on our elected officials to finally take action on the gun violence epidemic. And as the federal government shuts down, we're collecting names to show just how many of us have had ENOUGH. Are you with us? Please, speak out today and demand change. ADD YOUR NAME >>> In solidarity, Team Brady Firearm Safety and the Federal Shutdown This week, the federal government effectively shut down. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees across the country could lose their paychecks, and the Trump administration is threatening to turn temporary furloughs into permanent job cuts.    Losing your job, as well as facing a lack of support and financial stress, contributes to firearm suicide — which makes up the bulk of gun deaths in America. As so many families face these stressors and uncertainties, we're underscoring the importance of checking in on loved ones, including asking about access to unsecured guns in the home.   Secure firearm storage — which means storing firearms locked, unloaded, and away from ammo — is an essential way to protect ourselves and loved ones from the risks of firearm suicide. Today, please take a second to learn more about secure firearm storage. It could help save a life. LEARN MORE >>>   You're Invited: "The Future of Firearm Safety Research — CDC & NIH Funding Under Threat" "The Future of Firearm Safety Research: CDC & NIH Funding Under Threat" Tuesday, October 14 6:30 pm ET, Zoom REGISTER NOW >>> Research for firearm safety is under threat. Some members of Congress are working to slash millions of dollars for firearm injury and mortality research, even going as far as trying to ban its federal funding entirely. This would severely undermine our ability to understand the full scope of gun violence — the leading cause of death for American youth — and identify evidence-based solutions to prevent it.   Hear from Brady Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Sakran and our expert panelists on what's at stake and how you can take action. REGISTER NOW >>> October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month Guns are the weapon of choice for domestic violence homicides in America. In fact, every 12 hours, someone is shot and killed by a current or former intimate partner. And women are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser has a gun.    The danger of domestic violence also does not stop in the home. A U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment study found that 41 percent of people who carried out a mass attack had a history of domestic violence.   As we kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month, please join us in learning more about the intersection of firearms and intimate partner violence by reading Brady President Kris Brown's Substack. READ MORE >>>   Honoring with Action: Eight Years Since the Deadliest Shooting in Modern American History This week marked eight years since the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.   On October 1, 2017, a gunman used an assault weapon with bump stocks and large-capacity magazines to kill 60 people and wound more than 800 others in mere minutes at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.    This senseless tragedy, and others like it, could have been prevented.    In the year before the shooting, the gunman spent more than $90,000 on firearms and equipment, including 55 guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. If credit card companies had used something called "merchant category codes," or MCCs, then these suspicious purchases could have been flagged, and authorities could have prevented the attack.   Credit card companies apply MCCs to nearly every type of business — including restaurants, gas stations, and liquor stores — and have long been used to flag dangerous activity, including human trafficking and fraud. It is far past time that MCCs are applied to gun and ammunition sellers. That way, we can take notice when people are building an arsenal of weapons, and stop gun violence before it starts.   In honor of the lives lost at the Route 91 Harvest Festival eight years ago, learn more about the power of MCCs and how they can help prevent gun violence before it happens. LISTEN NOW >>> As Ghost Guns Decrease in Baltimore, So Does Juvenile Gun Violence, The Daily Gazette   Slaughter at Michigan Mormon Church the 324th Mass Shooting in US This Year, Common Dreams   327 People Will Be Shot Today. Why Aren't We Discussing Gun Control?, KALW   Brady Warns of Increased Global Instability and Endangered Lives from New Trump Administration Gun Industry Rule, Brady Brady Responds to Weekend Mass Shootings at Michigan Mormon Church, North Carolina Waterfront Bar, Brady SHARE ON BLUESKY >>>   Brady 840 First Street, NE Suite 400 Washington, DC 20002 United States   unsubscribe.   Thank you for supporting Brady and our work to prevent gun violence and save lives. We rely heavily on the generosity of activists like you to fund our work to create a safer America. If you're in this fight, please join Brady today by making a gift. DONATE >>>