Following Advocacy of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers, Governor Roy Cooper Signs Executive Order Establishing State Office of Violence Prevention 

RALEIGH, N.C. — Today, the North Carolina chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement applauding North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for signing an executive order establishing the state Office of Violence Prevention. The new office, under the Department of Public Safety, will coordinate efforts across state agencies and partner with local leaders to reduce gun violence in North Carolina. 

“This executive order is an important step in addressing the root causes of gun violence in North Carolina,” said Ella Davis, a volunteer of the North Carolina Chapter of Students Demand Action. “North Carolinans deserve to feel safe from the threat of gun violence from college campuses to the neighborhood supermarket, and this action by Governor Cooper shows a clear commitment to saving lives and tackling the root causes of gun violence. We look forward to working with him and our gun sense champions at the legislature to find common-sense solutions that protect all North Carolinians.”  

The new office will work closely with other state agencies, including the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, to ensure a whole of government and public health approach to reducing violence. The office will offer training and technical assistance to community violence prevention organizations, best practices guidance and model processes and more. This executive order comes one week after Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action gathered in Raleigh to call on Governor Cooper to veto efforts to weaken the state’s gun laws and find solutions to strengthen existing gun violence prevention efforts.  
In an average year, 1,588 people die by guns in North Carolina, and 3,530 more are wounded. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in North Carolina. More information on gun violence in North Carolina is available here. To speak to a North Carolina volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a volunteer with Students Demand Action, or a policy expert, please reach out to [email protected].