Democratic state Representative and gun control advocate Keturah Herron says it’s important to not look at acts of gun violence in isolation, after last Saturday’s mass shooting on Interstate 75.
The highway shooting in Laurel County injured five people, with no fatalities expected.
Kentucky State Police have since discovered a semi-automatic rifle registered to suspect Joseph Couch, which he bought hours before the incident.
Herron, who represents the state’s 42nd District in Louisville, says it’s important to view these incidents with a “holistic” approach, so more widespread change can be made.
“What I want our lawmakers to know and the public to know is, let's talk about all of the violence that we're seeing, and let's come up with solutions,” Herron said.
She also says it’s important to understand the collateral damage that comes from these acts of violence.
“In this situation on I-75, we had 11 school systems cancel school today,” Herron said. “What are we going to be doing for those 11 school systems, whether it's the parents, the students, the administration, the secondary trauma?”
Herron says she endorses creating a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which would allow the Commonwealth to collect data from shootings to better stop them in the future.
She also endorses strengthening Kentucky’s permit laws, as well as implementing red flag laws which would allow courts to temporarily seize firearms from people they consider dangerous.
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