BALTIMORE — More adolescents are killed by gun violence each year in the country than any other cause.
This week, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis due to a sharp increase in firearm injuries and deaths across the country, including here in Maryland.
Johns Hopkins University researchers say gun violence in the state is on the decline, but the problem remains at an all-time high.
The advisory issued by the U.S. Surgeon General is intended to draw attention to the fact that this is a problem in our country and one that requires an immediate solution.
Researchers say the figures indicate reform is needed at the state and federal levels.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has declared gun violence a public health crisis.
He told CBS News that too many people live in fear every day.
“Six in 10 Americans now worry about losing a loved one to gun violence, half of children worry about a school shooting, and gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children and teenagers,” Murthy said.
To reduce gun deaths, Mursi called on the US to ban automatic weapons, implement universal background checks for gun purchases and enact stricter gun laws.
“If we understand this as a children’s issue, we hope they will make it a priority,” Murthy said.
The announcement was made in Baltimore nearing the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting at a Brooklyn home that left two people dead and 28 injured.
“Our goal is to keep firearms out of the hands of people who may pose a danger to themselves or others,” said Josh Horowitz, co-director of the Johns Hopkins University Center on Gun Violence.
Josh Horowitz also noted that while data shows gun violence in Baltimore is on the decline, the CDC says that nationwide, more than 48,000 people will die from gun injuries in 2022, and suicide deaths will surpass homicides.
Horowitz said while Maryland has firearms laws, the problem lies just across the border.
“The problem is, other states don’t have firearms, and the guns are coming in from other states,” Horowitz explained.
He believes the declaration will open the door to solutions at the state and federal levels across the country.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown issued a statement agreeing with the U.S. Surgeon General, adding that this is more of an epidemic than a crisis.
