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by Mike MoenMinnesota News Connection
While the future is uncertain for this White House initiative, Trump has dismantled a new school safety committee that included parents of school shooting victims.
ST. PAUL - President Donald Trump has been busy signing executive orders since his inauguration. Gun violence prevention advocates in Minnesota hope he isn't aggressive in undoing recent work to keep communities safer. The White House website for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, created under the Biden administration, recently went dark. Staffers insist sudden online changes are a formality as they retool under new leadership, hinting that landing pages for key topics will be restored. But Maggiy Emery, executive director of the group Protect Minnesota, said she doesn't feel reassured much of the office's mission will be maintained. "We were finally seeing some of those rates of gun violence go down," said Emery, "you know, especially here in Minnesota." Gun violence deaths in Minnesota were down 5% in 2023, the last year for available numbers. And the national Brady organization credits the Office of Gun Violence Prevention for supporting the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms in shutting down more than 800 rogue gun dealers in the U.S. While the future is uncertain for this White House initiative, Trump has dismantled a new school safety committee that included parents of school shooting victims. Trump administration officials say they want to prioritize national security matters. But Emery said despite recent progress, gun violence is still a public health crisis in the U.S. She added that the initiative under President Joe Biden was bringing to light how rural areas affected. "We know that the Office of Violence Prevention on the federal level was looking at what can we do to reduce rates of gun violence," said Emery, "not only in urban areas, but in rural areas where folks are really the most impacted in Minnesota. You know, guidances and legislation around safe storage is now looking more unlikely." More than 70% of gun deaths in Minnesota are from suicides, and Emery said most are in rural areas. If federal solutions fall by the wayside, she said she hopes Minnesota lawmakers pass a state law for safe gun storage this year. In Trump's first term, bump stocks - the rapid-fire gun accessories - were banned. However, the U.S. Supreme Court later struck down that order.
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