Amid an avalanche of horrific acts of violence across Allegheny County over the past year, the Jan. 2 killing of Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire is yet another traumatic and high-profile reminder of the toll of gun violence on our communities. The chief’s family, the broader Brackenridge and law enforcement communities, and the entire Pittsburgh region are feeling intense pain and anger because of this senseless tragedy.

But even more infuriating is the fact that it doesn’t have to be this way. Stronger gun laws would make it harder for firearms to get into the wrong hands and would protect both law enforcement officers and the general public from the growing threat of gun violence — all while respecting responsible gun ownership.

Last year, Allegheny County had 122 homicides, 112 of which were shootings. The Easter Sunday mass shooting at an AirBnB on the North Side that took the lives of two teenagers. The 18-month-old baby caught in the crossfire and killed in a drive-by shooting downtown. The uber driver whose dashcam captured her pleading for her life before she was murdered in Monroeville. The 15-year-old gunned down while sitting in a van across the street from his school, Oliver Citywide Academy. The 78-year-old man in Kennedy Township, whom one neighbor described as someone who “wouldn’t hurt a soul,” fatally shot by another neighbor in a murder-suicide.

These are only a few of the devastating stories of the gun violence crisis in Allegheny County, just in 2022.

Statewide, one Pennsylvanian dies by gun violence every five hours, on average — more than 1,700 lost each year.

As a former law enforcement officer who was hired and sworn-in with McIntire 22 years ago, and as an advocate with CeaseFirePA (the commonwealth’s gun violence prevention organization), we see firsthand the devastation wrought by this public safety catastrophe.

Yes, there is absolutely an important role for strong law enforcement and incarceration of certain people who are a proven and active threat to public safety. They must be held accountable and prevented from committing further violence. But the reality is that, short of imposing life sentences or executions on anyone who poses the slightest risk of being violent, — a policy that would cause vastly more societal harm than good — a law enforcement strategy, which is inherently reactive, can be only part of the solution. A comprehensive approach to gun violence prevention also must emphasize proactive measures. We need to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands before they cause harm.

This year, Harrisburg has the best opportunity in a long time to make progress on this vital issue of public safety. It’s time for sensible, life­saving, bipartisan and broadly popular gun safety legislation to finally be passed in the State Capitol.

We can reduce the flow of illegal guns that enabled the killing of McIntire fuel so much of the community violence in Allegheny County by enacting a basic law to require the reporting of lost and stolen firearms. One study found that these laws reduced traced illegal gun movement by 46% when compared with states that do not have such laws.

We can prevent many of the 900 firearm suicides in Pennsylvania each year by passing Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation, often called a “red flag law.” This uses due process and civil procedure to temporarily restrict people’s access to a gun when they are a threat to themselves or others. Connecticut’s law was associated with a 14% reduction in firearm suicides. Polling shows that a broad, bipartisan majority of 80% of Pennsylvanians support this policy, including most gun owners.

And we can make it harder for the next mass shooter to get their hands on a weapon of war by closing a gap in our background check system that allows for the private sale of long guns without any vetting.

How can we do this? It’s going to take all Pennsylvanians — Republicans, independents and Democrats — coming together in the spirit of keeping each other safe. It’s going to require legislators who are willing to hear the bipartisan majorities of their constituents who support sensible solutions, including many gun owners and those in the law enforcement and veterans communities. It’s going to require honestly acknowledging the overwhelming body of evidence that shows how stronger state gun laws mean less gun violence, and accepting the longstanding legal tradition that these laws are entirely consistent with the Second Amendment and with responsible gun ownership.

But, most of all, it’s going to require that every Pennsylvanian who supports these public safety solutions understands that their voice carries great power in our democracy — and to use that voice. Contact your state legislators. Engage in dialogue with your family, friends and neighbors. That’s how change happens. And we need change now, more than ever. Will you join us in taking this opportunity to save lives from gun violence?

Gary Bayne is a former police officer, Marine Corps veteran and certified firearm safety instructor. Josh Fleitman is the Western Pennsylvania manager for CeaseFirePA.

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