On March 22, 2021, in Boulder, CO, ten people —including a police officer — were killed in a grocery store when a gunman opened fire. According to The Violence Project, Boulder’s tragedy is one of 29 known mass shootings in just the last five years. This mass shooting rocks our country within a week of the Atlanta spa shooting deaths of 8 people on March 16, 2021.

How many of us thought the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting would finally be the tragedy to change it all? Then came the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history until the 2017 shooting at a Las Vegas concert. Then, surely, the 2018 Parkland High School shooting would spark change, right? How many more innocent lives must we lose before real change happens?

We must ask ourselves two critical questions. What are the underlying systemic factors contributing to the growing list of mass shootings in the U.S.? And, what can we do about it? According to the Prevention Institute, there are four primary aspects to stopping gun violence:

• systematically reduce risks and increase resilience in individuals, families, and communities;

• create a sustainable and effective prevention infrastructure;

• use research and practice to continue  learning, innovating, and increasing impact;

• and reduce imminent risk through sensible gun laws and a culture of safety;

For a full explanation of recommendations for preventing gun violence, click here.

Commit today to learn more about how we can prevent gun violence together.

Take a moment with us to honor the victims of this tragedy.

Top row, from left: Eric Talley, Rikki Olds, Denny Stong, Jody Waters, Teri Leiker.

Bottom row, from left: Lynn Murray, Suzanne Fountain, Kevin Mahoney, Tralona Bartkowiak and Neven Stanisic