Guns killed more than 45,000 Americans in 2020. That’s also the year firearm deaths overtook car accidents as the leading cause of mortality in American children. This primary season, KDNK is asking Democratic and Republican candidates what measures they support to address these horrifying trends. On Wednesday, KDNK spoke with businessman and activist Cole Buerger of Glenwood Springs, who’s running to be the Democratic candidate for State House District 57, currently held by Republican Perry Will of New Castle.
A note on this interview: statistics show that people with mental illness commit just four percent of violent crimes in the U.S. and only two percent of crimes involving a firearm. Individuals with mental health issues are much more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than the perpetrators of those crimes. Stay tuned to KDNK this week as we ask more candidates how they would address gun violence in America.
