National Network to End Domestic Violence Statement on California Mass Shootings

January 24, 2023

A statement from Deborah J. Vagins, President & CEO, National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV):

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) grieves with Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California, in the aftermath of recent mass shootings. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and their communities as they grapple with these acts of senseless violence.

In Monterey Park, the shooting took place as the city’s Asian community celebrated Lunar New Year weekend. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people have faced increased rates of racism, hateful rhetoric, and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for a gunman to target Asian individuals during a holiday meant to be joyful adds an additional layer of horror. In Half Moon Bay, early reports suggest the shooter may have targeted farmworkers—another group also facing violence and structural exploitation—and we will continue to monitor developments in this situation.

We understand that authorities are investigating possible connections to domestic violence, particularly in Monterey Park. In the United States between 2014 and 2019, 60% of mass shooting events were found to be domestic violence attacks or perpetrated by those with a history of domestic violence. When a male abuser has access to a firearm, the risk that he will choose to shoot and kill a female partner increases by 1,000%. These tragedies are predictable, and they are preventable.

NNEDV is in solidarity with the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence (API-GBV) as they continue to advocate for investments in “culturally specific and linguistically relevant prevention and intervention efforts” that support AAPI individuals and communities. We also want to lift up some of API-GBV’s resources, including their Directory of Domestic & Gender Violence Programs Serving Asians and Pacific Islanders and their Gun Violence and Domestic Violence in the AAPI Community factsheet.

All violence is interconnected, and we reaffirm our commitment to creating a world without violence, including gun violence. We look forward to a day when responding to yet another mass shooting will no longer be commonplace for organizations like NNEDV.

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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 state and U.S. territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is a social change organization with a mission to create a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.