LANSING, Mich. — Attorney General Dana Nessel joined supporters at the state Capitol Thursday to remember those who died at the hands of domestic abuse.
End Gun Violence Michigan (EGVM) says 70 pairs of empty shoes were placed outside in honor of the 50 women and 20 children killed by gunfire annually during domestic incidents in the state.
We’re told Thursday’s vigil is meant to support new legislation that would forbid domestic abusers from buying or carrying guns for eight years. Comparable laws are in effect in thirty-one states.
“Domestic violence victims are most at risk when they are attempting to leave,” says Nessel. “This legislation rightfully acknowledges the spike in lethality when an abuser has access to a weapon and will remove them from the hands of people who have been convicted of violence in their homes. Common sense solutions like this will help reduce the scourge of gun-related deaths caused by intimate partners.”
Attendees made their way to the Senate Judiciary Committee after the vigil to support a scheduled hearing on the newly introduced legislation.
READ MORE: New state program to conceal addresses of survivors of domestic violence
