Center for Community Solutions condemns the ruling issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in USA v. Rahimi, which struck down lifesaving protections for survivors. In a unanimous decision, the three-judge panel ruled that people with a history of violent domestic abuse have a constitutional right to possess a firearm. This ruling is incredibly dangerous for domestic violence victims and their communities.
Guns and domestic violence are a deadly combination. Here are the facts:
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Most intimate partner homicides are committed with firearms (Violence Policy Center)
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Every month, an average of 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner (CDC)
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An abuser’s access to a firearm increases the risk of homicide by 1,000% (Spencer, C. M. & Stith, S. M., Risk factors for male perpetration and female victimization of intimate partner homicide)
Fortunately for survivors in California, firearm prohibitions in our state remain in place, and CCS and other organizations offering domestic violence services continue to be available to help survivors file restraining orders with firearm prohibitions already included. The CCS legal team remains committed to helping survivors with life-saving protective measures. We see firsthand the deadly combination of firearms and domestic violence abusers. Our services remain unaffected by this federal ruling, and our hearts go out to survivors in other states who are now more vulnerable as a result.
