Thread by @igorvolsky

1/ Through the first 5 months of 2021, gunfire killed 8,100+ people, about 54/d (not counting suicides)

That’s 14 more deaths/d than the average toll during previous 6yrs

Gun crisis is getting worse & our leaders MUST pass investments & reform while there's a pathway to change

2/ @washingtonpost is out with a new feature showing that in 2021 the number of casualties exceeds those of the first five months of 2020, which finished as the deadliest year of gun violence in at least two decades

@washingtonpost 3/ Gunfire deaths began to rise in April 2020 as COVID hit

“The pandemic exacerbated all of the inequities we had in our country — along racial lines, health lines, social lines, economic lines. All of the drivers of gun violence pre-pandemic were just worsened last year.”

@washingtonpost 4/ At the same time, gun sales soared.

In 2020, people purchased more than 23 million guns, a 66% ⬆️ over 2019 sales.

In January and February of 2021, people bought more guns than they did during either month of any previous year in which such purchases were recorded.

@washingtonpost 5/ And research tells us that the higher the jump in gun sales between 2019 and 2020, the higher the jump in gun violence that resulted in at least one death.

@washingtonpost 6/ The number of fatal shootings classified as some type of accident ⬆️ 40% 2019 to 2020.

The number of deadly incidents involving children ⬆️ 45% though a share of that is attributable to other types of shootings

@washingtonpost 7/ In 2020, in some of the country’s largest cities, homicides⬆️ 30% when compared with 2019.

The number of gunfire deaths has also increased in suburban and rural areas, though the overall numbers are lower because of smaller populations.

@washingtonpost 8/ This great @washingtonpost doesn't even capture the increase in political intimidation and potential violence.

DHS warns us that white supremacists pose a serious threat (many are heavily armed)

Congresspeople are experiencing a 107% ⬆️ in threats

@washingtonpost 9/ Since threat of gun violence ⬆️ , how are @POTUS, @SenSchumer, @SpeakerPelosi prioritizing building safer communities?

@POTUS

- took 6 initial administrative steps
- included $5B for community investment in AJP & additional funding
- DOJ supporting violence interruption

@washingtonpost @POTUS @SenSchumer @SpeakerPelosi 10/

@SpeakerPelosi

- passed key legislation strengthening our nation's federal background check system

@SenSchumer

- asked @ChrisMurphyCT to find 60 votes for expanding background checks
- committed that the Senate will vote to expand background checks this summer

@washingtonpost @POTUS @SenSchumer @SpeakerPelosi @ChrisMurphyCT 11/ So...@POTUS, @SenSchumer, @SpeakerPelosi HAVE taken steps to reduce gun violence...but we need them to do more (given the threat)

@POTUS & @SenSchumer must ensure:

- community investment included in AJP is signed into law

- we pass legislation expanding background checks

@washingtonpost @POTUS @SenSchumer @SpeakerPelosi @ChrisMurphyCT 12/ The politics on guns are hard, but they're as hard on every issue

We see @POTUS & @SenSchumer successfully navigating difficult politics for key priorities like COVID relief, infrastructure, etc...

We need the SAME amount of commitment & political capital on gun violence

@washingtonpost @POTUS @SenSchumer @SpeakerPelosi @ChrisMurphyCT 13/ For years, Democrats have campaigned on gun violence prevention and now they're in the WH and control both chambers of Congress.

They have an obligation to FIGHT to pass key investments and legislation and create a viable pathway for these measures to become law!