| Following the deadly shooting at Michigan State University, the Congresswoman will co-sponsor legislation to implement universal background checks and reinstate the assault weapons ban
Slotkin will hold a virtual town hall with constituents on Wednesday night |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) today reintroduced her Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act, a bill requiring safe and proper storage of firearms in households to prevent children and others from illegally accessing the weapon. The bill was first introduced after the deadly mass shooting at Oxford High School in November 2021 and passed in the House in June 2022. Slotkin will also co-sponsor the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023 and the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023.
Slotkin will hold a virtual town hall on Wednesday, February 22 at 6:30pm with State Senator Rosemary Bayer. The Congresswoman will discuss the shooting at Michigan State University last week and offer students and constituents the opportunity to provide feedback on legislation they want to see in the wake of the tragedy. “In less than 15 months, two different communities that I represent have been torn apart by gun violence. Students, teachers, and families in Oxford and now East Lansing have been devastated and traumatized by these horrific tragedies, but even with gun violence as the leading cause of death for American children, too many of our elected officials are out of touch and refuse to take the basic steps we need to keep our kids safe,” Slotkin said. “For me, the most haunting image last week was of a Michigan State student behind the police line on the night of the shooting wearing an ‘Oxford Strong’ sweatshirt to honor the shooting at Oxford High School. Right now, our kids are the ones paying the price for our inaction – and it simply cannot continue. All of the measures I’m announcing today have overwhelming, bipartisan support in Michigan, including from the countless gun owners I’ve heard from in recent days who are now demanding better gun safety laws. Despite that fact, it’s our elected leaders who are the last ones to get the memo. Michigan’s kids and families deserve to live without the constant fear of gun violence, and I’ll continue to fight for these measures as long as it takes until we have law on the books to save lives and keep our communities safe.” Slotkin’s announcement comes one week after a gunman opened fire on the campus of Michigan State University, leaving three students dead and five more in critical condition. The shooting took place less than 15 months after the deadly shooting at Oxford High School, which left four students dead and injured seven other people. Over the last few days, Slotkin has met with families from Oxford – which she represented in 2021 – that have been impacted by both shootings. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among Americans under 21. Over the next few weeks, Slotkin will continue her work in Congress to legislatively address the fact pattern of the shooting at Michigan State. Virtual town hall details: WHO: U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) WHAT: Virtual town hall WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 6:30pm WHERE: Slotkin.House.gov/LIVE (media avail will be held via Zoom immediately after the town hall) The Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act would:
4.6 million minors in the U.S. live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm, and studies show that between 70 and 90% of guns used in youth suicides, unintentional shootings among children, and school shootings perpetrated by shooters under the age of 18 are acquired from the home or the homes of relatives or friends. Data shows that there were at least 2,070 unintentional shootings by children between 2015 and 2020 — an average of nearly one shooting per day. |
