Leaders from across Alabama are banding together in a united effort to combat gun violence and seek effective solutions.

Alabama has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the country, with 25 gun deaths per 100,000 residents, almost double the national average.

Nikesha Tilton, gun violence prevention leader for the group Moms Demand Action, said one key contributor is the lack of gun safety protections and programs. She outlined key areas for improvement:

"A good ecosystem has several parts," Tilton explained. "You would have community violence intervention teams that consist of street outreach workers and also having significant programs for youths."

She noted another key part missing in the state's ecosystem to reduce gun violence is collaboration among community groups. She called attention to the work of the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation as an example. It has reduced homicides by 50% through its work.

To address the issues, Moms Demand Action, Faith in Action Alabama and other organizations will be hosting a summit at the Old Ship AME Zion Church today from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Highlighting the struggle for resources as a significant barrier, Tilton believes the summit will play a critical role in addressing limitations by seeking effective strategies to overcome obstacles.

"Funding, making sure that we're doing the work to have intentional relationship building," Tilton pointed out. "Those are two barriers. There's also legislation that could be put in place. "

Tilton hopes the summit will shed light on other avenues to reduce gun violence, such as mental health services, hospital intervention and victim compensation. According to Everytown Research, Alabama experiences an average of more than 1,100 gun-related deaths and more than 3,000 injuries per year.

Violence prevention groups said building trust in vulnerable neighborhoods is key to their success but a global humanitarian organization worries about setbacks after the federal government cut off grant money for its work in Minneapolis.

Nonviolent Peaceforce said a big portion of its funding was swept up in a host of grant cuts carried out by the Justice Department, including the group's "Interrupt Cycles of Violence" project in North Minneapolis. Funding for the initiative was supposed to keep flowing into the fall but is now off the table.

Odell Wilson, community peacebuilder for Nonviolent Peaceforce, said it means the teens he has been mentoring will receive disappointing news.

"Not being able to keep that promise or keep those goals set for them -- in my perspective -- that's really unacceptable and it's not fair," Wilson contended.

He emphasized if Nonviolent Peaceforce can no longer provide community spaces, healing circles and other activities, it is another broken promise from adults in their lives. As it scrambles, the organization said it will try to keep connections in the city. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment but broadly said certain types of grants no longer align with the Trump administration's priorities.

Minneapolis officials recently touted positive numbers in reducing violent crime in areas where Nonviolent Peaceforce is present. But Wilson argued abruptly scaling back their work could reinforce conditions for future violence.

"If none of us are trying to do that extra work and understand what it is that's really going on in the relationship field, in the trust field, I don't really see too much change happening in cases of wanting to improve the community or improve that cycle of violence," Wilson stressed.

The organization said the cut represents 40% of its federal support for violence prevention and community-based safety work in the U.S. A similar grant for San Diego was terminated early. Officials said the aid has been backed by Congress over the past decade and with the new administration, they worry about a tone in Washington D.C. where future funding requests are not even given a chance.

Florida State University students joined survivors of past mass shootings at the state Capitol this week, demanding that Gov. Ron DeSantis veto a bill that would lower the gun purchasing age to 18.

The protest follows last week's shooting at FSU's Student Union, the state's sixth mass shooting this year according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Caim Strickland was working on an engineering lab project when the alerts flashed across his phone. He spoke moments after the campuswide lockdown was lifted.

"Campus has always been a safe place, so to see this happen is crazy," he said. "You always hear about it happening somewhere else, other schools, but you never really think it's going to happen here."

The shooting, which killed two and injured six, marked F-S-U's first on-campus gun violence incident since 2014. It occurred weeks after the Florida House passed a bill to lower the gun purchase age from 21 to 18. However, Senate leaders confirmed they had already decided before the shooting not to take up the bill this session, effectively stalling it.

Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, helped craft mental-health reforms after the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and said her focus now is on trauma response.

"I think what's important right now is that everybody gets the help and support they need. I have seen what happens in the aftermath of these traumatic situations, and unaddressed trauma is very detrimental to people," she explained.

The 2018 Parkland massacre left 17 dead and 17 wounded on Valentine's Day. It ranks among America's deadliest school shootings.

The tragedy prompted then-Gov. Rick Scott to sign a package of reforms, including raising Florida's minimum age for rifle purchases to 21, matching the federal standard already in place for handguns. The National Rifle Association quickly launched a constitutional challenge after the changes.


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Several pieces of Democrat-backed gun legislation have been heard by Nevada's Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees but not without opposition from firearms proponents.

Assembly Bill 105 would ban firearms within 100 feet of election sites. Assembly Bill 245 would prohibit anyone younger than 21 from purchasing or possessing a semiautomatic shotgun or assault rifle. And Senate Bill 89 would tighten firearm restrictions for those convicted of hate crimes.

Sen. Julie Pazina, D-Las Vegas, said as the temperature of national discourse increases, it is imperative the measures be passed.

"The consequences of this divisiveness are real and they can't be ignored any longer," Pazina emphasized. "As a Jewish Nevadan, I have witnessed my communities and others like it come under attack simply because of the way we worship."

Pazina noted members of Nevada's LGBTQ+ community as well as ethnic and racial groups have also been targets of attacks. Each year more than 10,000 violent hate crime attacks involve either the use or threatened use of guns in the U.S., according to Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization.

Backers of Assembly Bill 245 said by restricting anyone younger than 21 from being able to purchase or possess a semiautomatic shotgun or assault rifle, suicide rates would decrease. Advocates said it strikes the right balance between the Second Amendment and preventing access to the most dangerous firearms.

Sen. Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, said otherwise.

"You take away this particular category and the people that want to kill themselves will no longer do so?" Hansen asked. "Crazy. Just crazy."

Data shows most of the deadliest mass shootings in the country since 2018 were committed by people younger than 21.

Tanya Schardt, senior counsel and director of state and federal policy for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said most mass shooters younger than 21 bought their firearms legally. She argued there have to be more barriers to prevent tragedies from happening.

"By not doing that, we are creating an environment where all of our children are having to have shooter drills," Schardt stressed. "We're creating an environment where children are scared to go to school, where teachers are scared to be there."


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