•Press Release Gun Violence Prevention Inequality United States
Washington — When the US Supreme Court decided to restrict state gun regulations, it opened the door to give more people access to guns, which leads to more gun deaths. In a new commentary, CEPR’s Algernon Austin argues it is not hard to see that Black communities will shoulder more than their share of the resulting death and trauma from gun violence. Currently, Black Americans die from shootings at a rate nearly three times that of white Americans, and gun violence is the leading cause of death for young Black men.
“Black Americans must insist on gun safety laws and an end to mass incarceration,” said Austin. He offers Camden, New Jersey as an example of how improved relations between Black communities and police led to a lower homicide rate.
