As Sara Bernard, writing for Seattle Weekly, explains:

Naturally, the horror of Orlando is on everyone’s mind. As with many mass killings, viewed in hindsight, it feels clear that shooter Omar Mateen was “a very dangerous and angry young man who should not have had access to firearms,” says Ervin, pointing to Mateen’s now-public history of domestic violence. “We know the greatest predictor of future violence is past violence.”

But I-1491, supporters say, is just as much about suicide prevention. Although not as high-profile, suicides by firearm strike in far greater numbers than homicides. In Washington state, nearly 80 percent of all gun deaths are suicides; in King County, roughly two-thirds are. According to a 2013 Washington State Health Services report, Washington has a significantly higher firearm suicide rate than the national average, and in parts of the state with the highest rates, one of the corresponding factors is “high firearm availability.”

Read the full story here.