The mass shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was only one of seven mass incidents in 2012, resulting in a death toll of 72 with another 68 people injured and far more emotionally scarred. 

In the one-month period after Newtown, another 954 people were killed by guns in the United States – 13 times the number of people killed in the seven mass shootings of 2012. The annual estimate is approximately 30,000 deaths – more than six times the number of Americans killed in Iraq from the war’s inception in 2003.

The magnitude of gun violence in the United States is undeniable and, as with all social phenomena, the extent of the problems and political attitudes can vary dramatically from one local government to another.  What is consistent, however, is that a significant act of gun violence can occur anywhere and anytime.

To help local government managers prepare for the possibility of a mass shooting in their communities, ICMA, in collaboration with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI), has launched a new Topic page in the Knowledge Network. The page provides an environment wherein local government professionals can have a balanced, civil, nonpolitical discussion on gun violence, its implications for local governments, lessons learned from experience, and proactive steps that local governments should consider.

On the Gun Violence Topic page visitors will find:

• Questions and Answers: participants can pose questions and other participants can respond to the questions.

• Resources:  material selected by ICMA and AFI for its high degree of relevance to local government managers.
• Documents:  documents and other resource materials collected by ICMA/AFI staff and a section where participants can post files themselves.
• Group:  participants can join the Gun Violence Discussion Group and engage in a dialogue about relevant issues and can also post documents and resource material.

The Gun Violence Topic page and Gun Violence Discussion Group are open to members and nonmembers. Encourage your public safety, elected officials, staff members, and citizens to participate. Professionals in mental health, schools, recreation, and libraries are also invited to participate individually or as organizations.

Remember to add the Gun Violence topic tag to your KN interests and preferences in order to be notified of postings.