CA Becomes 1st State To Launch Anti-Gun-Violence Unit

CALIFORNIA — California will launch the nation's first ever gun-violence prevention office, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday.

Bonta declared the nation's gun violence deaths an "epidemic," and said the new unit will use evidence and data collection to address violence over a "broad range of factors."

"We are in a full-on crisis, full-on state of emergency, and in order to fight this epidemic, it’s going to take new efforts, creative approaches and new action,” Bonta said on Wednesday. “That’s why we’re here today."

The new office will support operations to seize firearms from people on California's Armed and Prohibited Persons System. On the list are those who have been convicted of a felony, a violent misdemeanor, are under a restraining order or suffer from a serious mental illness.

The office will also support the prosecution of firearms trafficking cases and defend California's gun laws, which have the potential to come under scrutiny by the U.S. Supreme Court.

"This moment of crisis demands more than thoughts and prayers — we need action, now," Bonta tweeted.

READ MORE: 'Dangerous Decision': CA Gun Laws Vulnerable With Supreme Court Ruling

Since 2014, there have been 12,437 fatal incidents linked to gun violence in California, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

In 2020, California had an average of 8.5 gun-related deaths per every 100,000 people, according to data from the U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention.

"In 2020, 3,449 Californians died from gun violence. While we have some of the strongest gun laws in the country, this number is unacceptable, and there remains much work that needs to be done to save lives," said Laura Cutilletta, Giffords Law Center, Managing Director. "California requires more coordinated expert leadership and a statewide resource dedicated to breaking down silos across different agencies and borders, cutting through red tape, and helping communities implement new resources to stop gun violence."

In 2021, the state saw a 37 percent lower gun death rate than the national average, said Bonta's office, pointing to CDC data and the state's efforts to advance gun-control laws.

The Golden State has a long and storied history with gun restrictions. It has the strictest regulations in the nation.

This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and fellow state Democrats have passed a slew of laws addressing gun violence and tightening restrictions around firearm ownership.

Many of the new bills were advanced or signed rapidly after the deadly Uvalde school shooting in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.

READ MORE: Should CA Teachers Be Armed?

A bill that Newsom signed into law over the summer borrows tactics from a controversial approach to outlawing most abortions in Texas, in which residents are allowed to sue abortion clinics to stop procedures.

Beginning July 2023, the bill will allow state residents, the attorney general and local governments to sue industry companies in civil court. The bill is primarily meant for those harmed by shootings.

READ MORE: New CA Gun Law Signed By Newsom: What To Know

"Our kids, families and communities deserve streets free of gun violence and gun makers must be held accountable for their role in this crisis. Nearly every industry is held liable when people are hurt or killed by their products – guns should be no different," Newsom wrote in a statement.