Brady: United Against Gun Violence

Our Building a Future Without Gun Violence summit in L.A. has come to a close! A huge thank you to our partners who joined us in addressing the root causes of gun violence in our communities. We left the event feeling energized and hopeful about our work to free America from gun violence. Learn more about how our Combating Crime Guns team reduces gun violence through a supply-side approach here: https://bit.ly/4kTfZxJ

NEW RESOURCE: With Congress in recess, now is the perfect time for you to get loud in your community. Use our new townhall advocacy toolkit to hold your elected officials accountable and demand action to free America from gun violence.

On International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on the resilience of women in the gun violence prevention movement and the sobering reality of how much work still lies ahead. Women deserve to live free from gun violence. And yet, we are too often its targets at the hands of someone we know. In the U.S., women are disproportionately victims of domestic violence homicides; every 16 hours, a woman is killed by a male partner with a firearm. And these burdens fall heaviest on women of color — Black women in the U.S. are murdered at six times the rate of white women. The mere presence of a firearm in the home doesn't just escalate violence — it makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed. Despite this heartbreaking reality, so many women have harnessed their pain into action and led the charge in the fight for gun safety. Fearless women leaders have championed gun safety through advocacy, legislation, litigation, and community building. We've seen this bravery in the countless mothers who have sparked movements to save others from suffering the grief of losing a child — from Patricia Padauy-Oliver taking action to prevent mass shootings through Change the Ref to Kristin Song fighting for Congress to pass a law in her son Ethan’s name to save thousands of children from preventable tragedies caused by unsecured firearms. These tragedies carry a weight on us all: 8 in 10 parents fear their child's school will be the next mass shooting because of the inaction in our country. The truth is, we know what works. Sarah Brady fought tirelessly to pass the Brady Bill – the country's first and only background check system for gun sales. In 2020 alone, the Brady Background Check System blocked over 21,000 unlawful gun sales to domestic abusers. And Vice President Kamala Harris supervised the historic White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which helped drive a 13.5% reduction in nationwide homicides in 2023. Yet these hard-won protections remain fragile in the face of political headwinds. I’m so proud to build on the legacies of these women and continue to work together towards a safer future. As a woman, mother, and advocate, I don’t want to wait for another tragedy to happen for gun safety laws to be taken seriously. These policies work, but only if our leaders have the courage to act. I will never stop fighting for women’s safety. We owe it to every survivor, every mother, and every woman who has turned pain into purpose to listen, to act, and to create change. Want to join us in the fight? Sign up at bradyunited.org.

Suicide doesn’t occur in isolation. There are many conditions and factors that may lead to suicidal ideation, and inadequate access to care or resources for support exacerbate crises. But when challenges meet easy access to a firearm, the outcomes are far too often deadly. Recent cuts to mental health care, crisis services like the 988 lifeline, and social safety nets will only make this worse. Black children have seen a nearly 80% increase in firearm suicide rates in the last five years. For many immigrant communities, fear of deportation and discrimination fuels despair, sometimes with tragic consequences. Firearms make crises fatal. While there are countless driving factors that lead to suicide, easy access to guns makes these situations more lethal. Learn how safe storage saves lives at endfamilyfire.org.?

Women have always been at the forefront of the fight for justice, and Women’s History Month is a reminder of their impact. Coretta Scott King knew the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence. But she refused to let Dr. King’s assassination be the end of his work. She became a powerful voice for justice, gun violence prevention, and civil rights. Sarah Brady, after nearly losing her husband to gun violence, fought for common sense reforms—leading to the passage of the Brady Bill, which has prevented millions of unlawful gun sales. Their legacies teach us that persistence creates progress. This month, let’s honor their work—and recommit ourselves to building a world where no family has to endure the same heartbreak.

Yesterday, our president, Kris Brown, stood alongside lawmakers and advocates at a press conference supporting the reintroduction of Ethan’s Law—a bill named after Ethan Song, a fifteen year old who was killed by an unsecured firearm in his friend’s house. This legislation is a critical step toward protecting children from unsecured firearms. The facts are clear: ?? Nearly 1 in 4 children have handled a gun in their home without their parents knowing. ?? 76% of school shooters under 18 accessed their guns from home or family. ?? Access to a gun triples the risk of suicide, with 75% of youth firearm suicides involving a loaded, unlocked gun. ?? Eight children are unintentionally shot or killed every day due to unsecured firearms. Safe gun storage saves lives. Ethan’s Law would make safe storage a national standard, preventing tragedies before they happen. Congress must act. Call on Congress to pass Ethan’s Law: bradyunited.org/ethan

Thirteen years ago today, Trayvon Martin’s life was stolen at just 17 years old. He should be here—thriving, dreaming, and living out his future. Instead, his death became a painful reminder of how racist and reckless gun laws, like Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, endanger Black people. Stand Your Ground laws protect shooters, not communities. They allow people to act on bias and violence without facing consequences, putting countless lives—especially Black lives—in danger. Trayvon’s death sparked a movement. We honor his legacy by continuing to fight for accountability, justice, and a future where no child’s life is cut short by gun violence. Let’s honor Trayvon’s life and legacy with action. Learn how you can take action against Stand Your Ground laws and disarm hate: https://lnkd.in/eSsVyVVa

My friends in #healthcare know that prevention is the best medicine. That’s why Brady: United Against Gun Violence has created an amazing resource guide making it easier for you to talk to patients about gun safety.