Gun violence is a pro-life issue when you start looking at the statistics and the impact that gun violence has on life and the destructive impact it has on society.
— Sister Mary Haddad, RSM, President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association
Gun Violence
Gun violence is an ongoing, devastating reality in communities across the country. From mass shootings to the daily toll of gun-related deaths, the loss and trauma are staggering. We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our neighbors. Rooted in our long-standing commitment to justice and human dignity, we stand with others calling for common-sense solutions to reduce gun violence and build safer, more compassionate communities for all. Recent incidents in Michigan that underscore the devastating impact of gun violence:
- In Southfield, a young girl, Bailei Singleton, was fatally shot by her brother;
- A man in Bloomfield Hills pleaded guilty to federal gun charges after making
anti-Semitic threats against a Jewish day care; and - The Michigan Supreme Court dismissed appeals from families seeking to hold school staff accountable for the 2021 Oxford High School shooting.
In response to gun violence, Michigan has recently taken the following steps:
- The State of Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force’s resource library is a valuable collection of tools, data, and advocacy materials that help us take informed, compassionate action to end gun violence in our communities.
- Governor Whitmer signed 19 bipartisan bills to enhance safety in schools and communities, including establishing the School Safety and Mental Health Commission.
We are proud to belong to End Gun Violence Michigan (EGVMi), a statewide coalition working to reduce gun violence through education, advocacy and policy change. Through this partnership, we’ve joined efforts to support commonsense measures like universal background checks, safe storage laws and extreme risk protection orders – all of which became law in Michigan in 2024. EGVMi has a variety of resources here.
We encourage you to take action with Sandy Hook Promise in Michigan. Their advocacy platform offers simple, effective ways to urge lawmakers to support common-sense gun safety laws that protect our children and neighbors.
Did you know?
The 11th National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 6, 2025. We invite you to wear orange June 6 as a visible sign of your commitment to peace. Please consider posting a photo on social media using the #WearOrange tag, or sending it to Jennifer Shankie, jshankie@ihmsisters.org, so that we can share our collective witness for a world free from gun violence.
You may find the IHM Justice, Peace and Sustainability Office’s web materials useful for your committee work, presentations, mission units, ministry and other educational purposes. Be sure to check out our regularly updated online resources HERE.