Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Massachusetts Surgeons Tired Of Sewing Up Victims Of Gun Violence Look Toward Prevention
Boston Globe: Forged In Pain, New Mass. General Gun Violence Center Aims At Prevention
It started with a few people in a room, and a mountain of pain. But that handful of doctors grew into a vast, varied group of health care professionals determined to figure out how Massachusetts General Hospital might help prevent the gun violence that brought so many people to its doors. On Monday morning, MGH will announce the formation of the Mass General Center for Gun Violence Prevention, founded by two doctors whose lives were changed by shootings. (Ramos, 6/9)
Boston Globe: In Rhode Island’s Gun Debate, Regulations About Ammunition Purchases Are Noticeably Absent
On a hot August day in 2018, a felon named Charlie Vick opened fire in a gun battle on the streets of Chelsea, Mass. Hours later, he was spotted 50 miles south, at a gun shop in Woonsocket, R.I., buying more .45-caliber bullets, authorities said. The reason? Rhode Island has no law on the books requiring background checks before purchasing ammunition. Under federal law, felons are not allowed to possess ammunition of any sort, but without a state statute to regulate purchases, they can buy as many bullets as they want, authorities say. (Fitzpatrick, 6/10)
The New York Times: Columbine High School Could Be Torn Down To Deter Copycats
In the 20 years since the massacre at Columbine High School, the building has become a macabre tourist attraction for the curious and the obsessed. They travel from as far as Brazil or Japan, hoping to walk the halls, to look for the two teenage gunmen’s lockers. They come every day, and more come with each passing year. Now, in an effort to stop the escalating threats against the school and lessen Columbine’s perverse appeal to copycats and so-called Columbiners, school officials are proposing a radical idea: Tear it down. (Turkewitz and Healy, 6/7)
