June 21. 2024
Today, Safe Horizon celebrates a significant victory for domestic violence survivors and gun safety advocates with the Supreme Court’s decision in United States vs. Rahimi, upholding a law that protects domestic violence survivors.
The decision means that people charged with domestic violence offenses will continue to be prohibited from retaining firearms, reducing the lethality of domestic violence situations. Research consistently shows that the presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500% for women. Over half of all women murdered in the U.S. are killed by a current or former intimate partner, and guns are often the weapon used in these devastating acts of violence. Quite simply, this decision will save lives.
Safe Horizon’s work is to support survivors and create safe environments free from violence. This ruling reinforces the importance of gun control laws as a critical component of protecting those at risk. We remain committed to advocating for policies that ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals, especially survivors of domestic violence.
Thank you to the Supreme Court Justices for recognizing the vital link between gun control and domestic violence prevention and to advocates who worked tirelessly to raise awareness and understanding of this case. Together, we can continue to build a safer, more just society for everyone.
To learn more about United States vs. Rahimi, click here.