The mass shooting in Maine has reignited the debate about gun violence in the United States.
Many people continue to push for laws that they hope will help will prevent further bloodshed. That includes Whitney Austin, a Kentucky woman who survived a mass shooting in Cincinnati.
“It’s a very upsetting moment for me every time reports of a mass shooting come in.”
She spoke to LEX 18 from Washington, where she has been pushing for a law that would allow for the temporary transfer of a firearm when a gun owner is going through a crisis moment.
“It’s not a criminal path, it’s a civil path,” Austin said. “It’s meant to help the gun owner and get them back to a place where gun ownership is safe.”
She thinks it could have helped to prevent the shooting in Maine.
Right now, she’s hopeful, believing we are closer to change than the country has been before because so many Americans don’t feel safe because of increased violence.
The Gun Violence Archive tracks those numbers. The organization is led by Mark Bryant, who lives in Lexington.
“This year, we are matching or maybe going ahead of 2022, so what we are seeing is a new plateau, we are seeing the same volume of shootings,” Bryant said. “We are seeing a few more people get killed every day."
He says something else that is important is that gun violence is being covered more, which is making people think.
More people than ever are involved in working toward change, Austin said.
“When you reach critical mass on any issue, it is impossible for those in a position of power to not make the right decision,” she said.
