Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mass Shootings Most Common In Workplaces
The Violence Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that's funded by the National Institute of Justice, has found the current or former workplaces of perpetrators were the most common sites for mass shootings, which the organization defines as four or more people killed by a firearm. "Most of the shooters had been fired," the organization said. ... The second most common location for mass shootings was at retail locations, which represented 16.9% of all recorded mass shootings, and the third most common location was restaurants and bars, which represented 13.4% of all recorded mass shootings, according to the Violence Project. (Pereira, 4/11)
More details about the Louisville shooting 鈥
The man suspected of killing five and injuring eight at the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, was a star athlete in high school who allegedly suffered so many concussions, he wore a helmet at basketball games.聽(Reyes, 4/10)
The 25-year-old man who opened fire on Monday at a bank in downtown Louisville, killing five people, told at least one person that he was suicidal before the rampage and legally purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting at a local dealership last week, officials said on Tuesday. 鈥淲e know he left a note,鈥 Representative Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat whose district includes Louisville, said of the gunman at a news conference. 鈥淲e know he texted or called at least one person to let them know he was suicidal and contemplating harm.鈥 (Williams, Bogel-Burroughs and Arango, 4/11)
A Louisville doctor involved in treating the injured victims of a mass shooting that killed five people at a bank on Monday pleaded for policy makers to take action on gun violence.聽鈥淭o everyone who helps makes policy 鈥 I would simply ask you to do something. Because doing nothing, which is what we have been doing, is not working,鈥 said University of Louisville Hospital Chief Medical Officer Jason Smith at a press conference.聽... 鈥淔or 15 years I鈥檝e cared for victims of violence and gunshot wounds. And people say 鈥業鈥檓 tired,鈥 but ... it鈥檚 more than tired. I鈥檓 weary,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 only so many times you can walk into a room and tell someone they鈥檙e not coming home tomorrow.鈥 (Mueller, 4/11)
Mayor Craig Greenberg (D) told viewers during a news conference Tuesday that the firearm that was used to kill five people and injure eight in Louisville on Monday will ultimately be put up for auction. ... Greenberg explained that a law the state passed in 1998 prohibits law enforcement from destroying confiscated firearms 鈥 even when they have been used in crimes. 鈥淭he laws we have now are enabling violence and murder,鈥 added Greenberg, who himself survived a shooting at his campaign office in February 2022. (Melnick, 4/12)
In related news from Tennessee 鈥
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) on Tuesday signed an executive order attempting to strengthen the state鈥檚 background checks for gun purchases. He also called on state lawmakers to pass what are known as red flag laws that would temporarily remove guns from people deemed dangerous. Lee鈥檚 announcement comes two weeks after six people, including three children, were killed at a private Christian school in Nashville, setting off statewide protests and calls for gun reform. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 4/11)