Good morning, Bulletin readers. An initiative in Michigan aims to provide a healing space for parents working to keep their kids out of the juvenile justice system. That story and more, below.
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WHAT TO KNOW TODAY
NEW from THE TRACE: Treating mothers’ trauma as a way to prevent youth violence. Sisters United Resilient and Empowered, or SURE Moms, is trying to lower juvenile crime and recidivism in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by providing counseling and support to the mothers of kids linked to much of the area’s violence. “The mother has to do their emotional work first,” said Leah Mills, a social worker and trauma therapist who assists with the program. “When they become healthy, they can give their children the emotional support children need.” It’s a strategy rooted in the recognition that violence interruption can happen not only on the street, but also in the home. Read J. Brian Charles’s story here.
IMPACT: Elizabeth Warren’s sweeping gun bill would close dealer security shortfalls exposed by The Trace and The New Yorker. The Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act includes a slew of gun reforms. One of them would require gun stores to guard against thieves through the use of video monitoring, alarms, safes, and other measures. Stores that violate the security rules could face fines or be forced to shut down. (Current law allows dealers to operate without so much as a lock on the door.) The proposed security protocols were inspired by our 2019 investigation showing that gun store theft has become an important source of crime guns. Brian Freskos has the news.
A Parkland parent was ejected from the State of the Union address. Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the 2018 shooting, was invited by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In his speech, President Donald Trump promised to “always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” which he claimed is “under siege all across our country.” In response, Guttenberg shouted about the need to consider victims of gun violence and was removed by Capitol Police. He later posted an apology on Twitter. “I let my emotions get the best of me,” Guttenberg wrote. “I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence and not have to listen to the lies about the 2A as happened tonight.”
The Texas college shooting victims were sisters. Texas A&M University-Commerce freshman Deja Matts, 19, and Abbaney Matts, 20, were killed in a residence hall Monday at the school. Abbaney’s 2-year-old son was wounded. “This doesn’t feel real,” their mother posted on Facebook. Abbaney’s ex-boyfriend was charged with murder.
An illegal gun owner allegedly threatened to kill Adam Schiff. A 52-year-old registered sex offender from Arizona is accused of leaving a voicemail for the California congressman in which he threatened to “blow your brains out,” according to court documents obtained by The Informant. Upon a search of the man’s home, police found an AR-15-style rifle, two handguns, and 700 rounds of ammunition. He was charged with making interstate threats and being a felon in possession of firearms.
Some Connecticut legislators reconsider a post-Sandy Hook gun policy. In 2013, state lawmakers launched a “dangerous weapon offender registry” for which residents convicted of violent crimes are required to submit their addresses and photographs for five years after their release. The list, which is only viewable by law enforcement officials, contains the names of 1,875 felons, Hearst reported last month. The report spurred lawmakers to take a second look at the necessity of the registry when weighed against privacy concerns. “We should consider if there is a need for the registry at all,” state Representative Steve Stafstrom, a Democrat, told The Middletown Press.
DATA POINT
Eighty-six percent of registered voters in gun-friendly Texas support universal background checks, according to a new poll. — Dallas Morning News
