On September 17th, we were invited to host a panel discussing the intersection between gun violence and mental health at the NAMI Washington Conference in Olympia. The panel was moderated by South Seattle Emerald Founder and Alliance for Gun Responsibility Foundation Board Member, Marcus Harrison Green. The panelists were: 

• Dylan O’Connor, Director of Government Affairs at the Alliance for Gun Responsibility
• Dr. Laura Prater, Associate Director of the Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program at the University of Washington
• Karyn Brownson, Community Safety Manager in the Violence and Injury Prevention Unit at Public Health for Seattle and King County

The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including Extreme Risk Protection Orders, the risks of firearm ownership, and safe storage. Conversation and questions ranged from what public health data says about the risk of firearms in the home to the political division stoking the fires of ideological violence.

We are grateful to NAMI Washington for the opportunity to participate in and learn from this thought-provoking conference.

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– Dylan O’Connor is Director of Government Affairs at The Alliance.