Recognizing ties between domestic violence and mass shootings saves lives 

Last month’s horrific mass shooting in Louisiana, including the murder of eight children, has been referred to as resulting from a “domestic dispute” Just days before, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia shot and killed his wife with their teenagers at home, reportedly while the couple were “amid divorce proceedings.”

Nearly half of mass shootings in the U.S. are domestic violence-related. It’s when a so-called private matter becomes heinously public. Those of us who work on family violence matters, and the victim-survivors we interact with, know there is much more to be done to reduce firearm violence and increase safety nationwide.

The necessary changes have nothing to do with being anti-gun, but with recognizing the fact that the epidemic of domestic violence impacts millions of Americans and turns deadlier when best practices around firearm access are ignored.

First, however, we must recognize the red flags and take them seriously. Although not all divorces or child custody disputes involve violence, ongoing litigation combined with access to firearms and threats to harm oneself or others are proven indicators that at-risk partners and the professionals supporting them need to take safety planning steps.

The majority of women in the U.S. who die by homicide at the hands of current or former intimate partners are killed by firearms. A woman’s abusive partner is five times more likely to kill her if he has access to a firearm, no matter who owns the gun. Firearms violence is also a leading cause of death of young people. Studies reveal the majority of children who die in mass shootings are killed by family members.

The violence isn’t........

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