Levers of Change: Gun Violence Prevention and Solutions | Milken Institute Global Conference 2023

Current Statistics and Trends

• Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., surpassing car accidents.
• The U.S. has 125 guns for every 100 people.
• As of May 2nd, 2023, there were 174 mass shootings recorded in the United States.
• The economic cost of gun violence is approximately $550 billion annually, equivalent to five times the U.S. Department of Education budget.
• 87% of Americans support criminal background checks for all gun buyers; 77% support a 30-day waiting period; 81% support raising the purchase age to 21.

Legislative and Legal Landscape

• In 2005, Congress passed a law granting the gun industry broad civil immunity from lawsuits regarding weapons used in crimes and prohibited federal funding for gun violence research.
• The "Safer Communities Act" recently passed Congress with 15 Republican votes, a significant shift from the 2013 Sandy Hook aftermath where bipartisan support collapsed.
• Ten states currently have assault weapon bans, representing 20% of U.S. states.
• Recent state-level victories include muscular gun safety bills passed in Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Maryland, and Tennessee.
• Litigation is emerging as a key strategy, with lawsuits in many towns aiming to redefine legal terms that protect gun manufacturers, similar to strategies used against tobacco and opioid industries.
• Priscilla Alvarado (Amalgamated Bank) notes the industry previously lacked a specific merchant code for gun stores, preventing financial tracking of illicit patterns.

Corporate and Industry Responses

• Levi Strauss & Co. adopted a gun violence stance after an employee accidentally shot themselves in a store dressing room and later after the Parkland shooting, contributing a $1 million fund to community organizations.
• Levi's and other CEOs led a coalition of 550 signatories to support the Safer Communities Act, crediting business pressure for the legislation's passage.
• Dick's Sporting Goods removed assault weapons from shelves entirely and saw higher profits by replacing them with other products.
• Walmart has shifted policy to stop selling assault weapons, focusing primarily on sport weapons in specific regions like Alaska.
• Amalgamated Bank filed to create a merchant code for gun stores to identify and flag suspicious bulk purchases, such as the $95,000 credit card spree used by the Las Vegas shooter.
• Levi's CEO Chip Bergh emphasizes that 3,000+ global stores now have policies against open carry, citing safety concerns for employees and customers.

Public Health and Community Impact

• 24 years after Columbine, mass shootings have become frequent enough that the public struggles to distinguish individual events.
• Communities of color, particularly Black and Brown urban areas, face daily mass shootings and normalized exposure to gunfire, often receiving less media attention than suburban school shootings.
• Teenage suicide by gun is increasing, a trend experts note could be mitigated by smart gun technology like palm print recognition.
• Gun violence creates a mental health crisis affecting workplace safety, talent retention, and the psychological well-being of students forced to participate in active shooter drills.
• Stigma remains a barrier for survivors, with their trauma often politicized rather than met with standard community support.

Survivor Testimony and Advocacy

• Mia Atreta, a 2019 Saugus High School shooting survivor, lost her 14-year-old best friend and suffered a gunshot wound requiring years of surgeries and therapy.
• Mia organized a high school walkout involving over 400 students and now advocates for voter registration and political engagement among minors.
• Mia highlights that her generation is being forced to process violence while peers in other countries do not face the same systemic threat.
• The panel identifies "heroes" as non-survivor advocates, including young people, law enforcement officers, and those who leverage their platforms to push for change without waiting for personal tragedy.

Technology and Innovation

• Chip Bergh suggests a return to single-discharge weapons only, arguing that automatic weapons capable of firing 800 rounds per minute are unnecessary for target practice.
• The panel supports the development and integration of "smart guns" featuring biometric recognition to prevent unauthorized discharge and reduce suicides.
• DNA testing at crime scenes is noted as essential due to the high kinetic energy of modern firearms which can cause catastrophic trauma.

Call to Action and Future Outlook

• Experts advise holding politicians accountable by directly asking candidates about their gun safety positions before elections.
• Consumers are encouraged to leverage purchasing power to support brands aligned with gun violence prevention.
• The panel warns against waiting for personal tragedy to drive activism, urging immediate engagement through social media, town halls, and community organizing.
• Investment strategies should consider exclusion thresholds for companies selling assault weapons or those failing to protect employees from gun violence.
• The narrative emphasizes that while laws are critical, they require enforcement, community investment, and public pressure to be effective.