Nick Hanna, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is part of a newly formed working group comprised of nine U.S. attorneys aiming to develop new methods to keep guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, it was announced Tuesday.
“Too often, domestic abusers start with threats and abuse, and end up committing extreme violence and even homicide, with devastating impact on families and the community around them,” Attorney General William Barr said. “I have directed this working group to examine this issue and determine the best way to use federal gun prosecutions and other appropriate tools to supplement state, local and tribal efforts to address domestic violence.”
Federal law has long barred convicted felons, as well as individuals subject to certain domestic violence protective orders or convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors, from possessing firearms. Offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a remarkably high risk of homicide, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Research shows that abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than abusers who don’t have that same access to a firearm. And according to one recent study, more than half of America’s mass shootings are cases of extreme domestic violence, according to the DOJ.
Keeping guns from domestic abusers legally prohibited from possessing them would significantly reduce violence in America, Barr said.
The nine U.S. attorneys are expected to share best practices, legal analysis and guidance on prosecuting abusers who unlawfully possess guns, and will advise other federal prosecutors across the country on outreach to local law enforcement, judges and nonprofit groups, according to the DOJ.
“I’m proud to help enhance our federal efforts to go after domestic abusers who illegally possess firearms,” Hanna said in a tweet.