UMD, GMU Launch Gun Violence Prevention Effort

In the wake of horrifying mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., Highland Park, Ill., and Uvalde, Texas, the University of Maryland and George Mason University are joining with other institutions around the Washington, D.C., region to advance solutions to American gun violence.

Called “The 120 Initiative” for the more than 120 people who are killed by firearms on average every day, the group will be coordinated by the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Experts in areas such as public and mental health, business, education and technology will develop evidence-based recommendations to drive down gun violence.

The idea of UMD President Darryll J. Pines and GMU President Gregory Washington, the initiative also includes 11 other institutions, including Georgetown and Howard universities, and Johns Hopkins University and Virginia Tech as affiliate members.

“Guns are now the leading cause of death for young people, and we are charged with shaping young minds to tackle the grand challenges of our time,” Pines says. “We lead communities that are deeply affected by the mass slaughter of citizens, and some weeks it feels like the flags at our public institutions fly ceaselessly at half-staff.”