DELAWARE STATE SENATE

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 12

DECLARING GUN VIOLENCE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

WHEREAS, every day in the United States, more than 110 Americans are shot and killed and more than 200 people are shot and wounded; and

WHEREAS, the rate of gun deaths in the United States increased 33% from 2011 to 2020 and Black people are 2.2 times more likely than white people to die by guns; and

WHEREAS, the United States’ gun homicide rate is 26 times higher than in other high-income countries; and

WHEREAS, the gun violence epidemic in the United States is also an economic crisis, costing about $557.2 billion annually, of which $12.6 billion is paid by taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, the United States is experiencing the compounded effects of 2 major health crises simultaneously: COVID-19 and gun violence, and in addition, millions of guns have been sold during the global pandemic, effectively increasing the risk of gun violence; and

WHEREAS, gun sales surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with people in the United States purchasing nearly 22 million guns in 2020, a 64% increase compared to 2019; and

WHEREAS, while the surge in gun sales slowed during the second and third years of the pandemic, sales remain higher than pre-pandemic levels; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on data for the years 2016 through 2020, Black Americans are 10 times more likely to die by gun homicide than white or Hispanic Americans; and

WHEREAS, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, and every year, approximately 350 children under the age of 18 living in the United States gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else; and

WHEREAS, in Delaware, from 2011 to 2020, the rate of gun deaths increased 75%, the rate of gun suicides increased 18%, and the rate of gun homicides increased 153%; and

WHEREAS, in Delaware, gun suicides occur at a rate of 1 every 7 days, and white people are 2.7 times more likely than Black people to die by gun suicide; and

WHEREAS, Delaware has the 15 ^th highest rate of gun homicides in the country and of all homicides in Delaware, 83% involve a gun, compared to 76% nationally, and

WHEREAS, Black people are 13 times more likely than white people to die by gun homicide in Delaware, compared to 10 times more likely nationally; and

WHEREAS, in Delaware, 70% of female intimate partner homicide victims are killed with a gun.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED b y the Senate of the 152nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the General Assembly hereby declares that gun violence is a public health crisis.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ending the gun violence that is devastating Delaware on a daily basis is a policy priority.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly commits to supporting policy and legislative solutions that will make schools safe, confront armed hate and extremism, prevent suicide, and center and support survivors of gun violence.

SYNOPSIS

This Senate Concurrent Resolution declares that gun violence is a public health crisis, that ending the gun violence devastating Delaware is a policy priority, and supporting policy and legislative solutions that will make schools safe, confront armed hate and extremism, prevent suicide, and center and support survivors of gun violence.

Author: Senator Pinkney