Statement attributable to:
Omar T. Atiq, MD, FACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON May 8, 2023 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) is alarmed by the shooting that took place over the weekend at a mall in Allen, Texas. In addition to the 8 victims who were killed and those who were injured, the shooting leaves yet another devastated community in its wake. This devastation is something that physicians face in the practice of medicine, all too regularly, something ACP has noted in repeated reactions to shooting incidents, the last one less than a week ago. We cannot continue to live in a country where people must give special consideration to whether it is safe to go about their everyday lives. Firearm violence is a public health crisis that we must all join together to address.
While we have recently begun to make some progress in enacting policies that would help to prevent firearms-related injuries and deaths, much more needs to be done. Until that happens the safety of our patients, our families and our communities are all under threat. That is why ACP has called for common sense policies to tackle the public health crisis of firearms-related deaths and injuries for nearly 30 years. ACP also recently launched a new initiative to help internal medicine physicians address firearm safety with their patients. As a trusted source of information for our patients, we can help them know how to protect themselves and their loved ones. We call on those who share our commitment to preventing avoidable deaths and injuries from firearms to come together to take action to help prevent future tragedies.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org