The University of Michigan hopes to lead the way in reducing the number of fatalities from firearms, as President Mark Schlissel announced a new initiative to combat gun-violence.
Calling gun violence in the U.S. a public health crisis, University President Mark Schlissel Thursday announced the creation of a Firearm Injury Prevention Research Initiative.
Speaking at the annual leadership breakfast, Schlissel noted that the statistics around firearms violence are grim: Guns injure more than 100,000 Americans every year; and firearms were the leading cause of death among high school students in 2017.
Schlissel said however, the initiative’s intent is not to delve into Second Amendment politics but, rather, to address the injuries and death resulting from gun violence, and find a solution.
“The focus is not on gun control, but rather on injury prevention,” Schlissel said. “We didn’t halve automobile deaths by taking cars off the road, but rather by making them and their drivers safer.”
According to the university, the university also will form an external stakeholder committee to ensure a diversity of perspectives, which could include both gun owners and gun-violence survivors and families, Schlissel said.