Gun Safety

The National Children’s Campaign is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for common-sense gun policies. Since the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, hundreds of thousands of American children have been injured or killed by guns and more than 236,000 students have experienced gun violence at school.¹ These tragic events are catastrophic for victims, traumatizing for loved ones, and devastating for entire communities. The shootings are preventable, yet for years the solution has been primary consisted of offering “thoughts and prayers”.

Nearly 1,700 children and teens die by gun homicide every year, meaning that gun violence is the second leading cause of death for all of America’s children and teens, and the leading cause of death for African American children and teens who are 14 times more likely than White children and teens of the same age to die by gun homicide². In their lifetimes, 99.85% of Americans will know a victim of gun violence³. Every day, an average of 21 children age seventeen and under are shot, resulting in an average of four deaths per day⁴.

These haunting facts are commonly disregarded by our elected officials in exchange for endorsements and campaign contributions from the most powerful gun lobby organization, the NRA, and dark money groups. Our elected officials have a moral obligation to step up and take immediate action to help solve this crisis and protect America’s children.

How Can We Protect America’s Children?

Allot funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the gun violence epidemic.

Expand background checks to all gun sales.

Close the “Charleston Loophole” that allows individuals to obtain a firearm who wouldn’t otherwise pass a background check.

Support “Red Flag Laws” to allow for the temporary removal of guns from people in crisis who pose a threat to themselves or others.

Disarm domestic abusers and those on the No-fly list for potential terrorists.

Require the safe storage of firearms, responsible training and safety practices, and the reporting of stolen firearms.

Implement a ban on high-capacity magazines.

Crack down on gun trafficking between states with varying regulations on guns.

Oppose concealed carry reciprocity.

Eliminate restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and increase their funding to allow them to properly do their jobs to regulate firearms.

Regulate semi-automatic assault weapons the same way fully automatic assault weapons are regulated.

Provide funding for gun violence intervention programs that help break the cycle of violence in underserved communities that are disproportionately impacted by gun violence.