Gun Violence Prevention

Gun violence has become a terrifying, ever-present reality in the United States. It’s now the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens – ahead of car accidents and cancer. The Gun Violence Archive verified a shocking 271 U.S. mass shootings in 2024. Multiple studies find that a majority of them involve some connection to domestic violence or are committed by a shooter who has a history of domestic violence.

At Futures Without Violence, we’ve been sounding the alarm that violence that starts at home often doesn’t stay at home, and that guns and domestic violence are a dangerous, often lethal combination. A firearm in the home makes it five times more likely that a woman facing domestic violence will be killed by a male partner – and that happens with horrifying frequency. On average, 70 U.S. women are shot and killed by a husband or partner each month, and this violence often harms people outside the family, too.

Keeping guns away from abusers is essential to keeping families and communities safe. We’re working to convince Congress to close the boyfriend (or dating partner) loophole so dating partners with restraining orders against them and people convicted of stalking will no longer have access to guns. In 2024, as the U.S. Supreme Court prepared to decide if the government could continue denying firearms to people subject to domestic violence protective orders, FUTURES led a public education campaign to warn of the dire consequences an adverse SCOTUS ruling would bring. We’re educating judges about the need to ensure people subject to restraining orders actually surrender their firearms. 

We need to do more to prevent gun violence – and you can help! Join us in urging lawmakers at the federal and state levels to do more to stop gun violence, protect survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and help heal people who’ve been harmed.