NEWTOWN, Conn. – Six family members were killed when shootings took place at several locations in Muscatine, Iowa on Monday. The shooter is described as a relative of the victims, who later died by suicide after being confronted by police.
Local authorities have reported that two of the victims were students in the Muscatine Community School District, and two others were district employees.
Tragically, most children under 18 in the U.S. who die in mass shootings are killed by a family member, according to research from Stanford Medicine. Domestic violence underlies the majority of these types of homicides.
In response to this attack, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Absolutely no family should ever experience a horrible event like this. This creates such a lasting trauma for all of the loved ones – and for the entire community. We stand with Muscatine in condemning this terrible act.
“Most mass shooters display warning signs before carrying out their attacks, including making threats, becoming suddenly withdrawn, or exhibiting excessive anger or irritability. We encourage local authorities to reveal what types of warning signs may have been a factor leading to these attacks. The more we understand warning signs and when and how to take action, we can prevent tragedies like this from ever happening in our communities.
“Additionally, the state of Iowa does not have temporary transfer laws, which are designed to temporarily remove firearms from a person experiencing a crisis. Laws like this are one way that lives can be saved without infringing on individual rights, and gun violence can be prevented.”
For more information about gun violence prevention, resources for how communities can heal after a tragedy, and information about life-saving firearm access policies, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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Nick Dmitrovich | [email protected] | 203-304-9780 Ext. 279