Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, MACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON March 27, 2023 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) is deeply dismayed by the most recent school shooting that occurred in Nashville, Tennessee. Today’s shooting took place merely ten minutes from the office where I currently treat patients, reinforcing for me how close we all are to becoming a victim of gun violence. In the practice of medicine, physicians all too regularly come face-to-face with the tragedy that gun violence brings. The rate of injuries and deaths related to firearms and the growing incidence of mass shootings brings to light, once again, the glaring insufficiency of firearm policy in the U.S.
While we have recently begun to make some progress in enacting policies 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. It is time for all who share our commitment to preventing avoidable deaths and injuries from firearms to come together to take action to help prevent future tragedies.
***
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