Crossposted from Public Health Insider

By Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer

Early on Sunday, June 12th, a lone gunman with a semiautomatic rifle carried out the largest mass shooting in United States history at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing dozens of men and women. Our thoughts, prayers and tears go out to the families and friends of the victims, along with our hope for the quick physical recovery for the many injured, though we know the psychological toll will be long-lasting.

So far in 2016, there have been 136 mass shootings (including those with four victims or more) in the US with over 200 deaths.  Last year, there were over 13,000 deaths from gun violence in the US. King County is not immune from this epidemic of firearm suicides, homicides and unintentional shootings.  Gun violence kills more people each year in King County than car crashes.

This past November, after the Paris terrorist attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, I wrote of the need to recognize gun violence as a public health problem and start to address it accordingly.

Read more at Public Health Insider