2023 legislative session aims to further Massachusetts gun control

GUN CONTROL continued from page 2 ing placing further limitations on ghost guns, improving crime data analysis, improving firearm education and training and barring firearms from sensitive locations, such as polling places.

“One [bill] we are specifically supporting this time around — one which is very much I think in the [minds] of many people — is having some limitations and regulations on ghost guns,” Schneur said. “They are the 3D[-printed] or ones without serial [numbers] that allow people to bypass a lot of the legislation that we passed throughout the years.”

At Tufts, gun control measures are strict and repercussions for possession of a firearm are serious, notes Yolanda Smith, executive director of public safety at Tufts.

“Tufts strictly prohibits the possession of firearms on all of Tufts’ campuses unless the person has the approval to possess the firearms on campus from the Chief of Police of TUPD,” Smith wrote in an email to the Daily.

“In the event we find a weapon either on a student or community member, depending on the circumstances, we would either escort the person off campus or seize the gun immediately. Lastly, illegal possession of a firearm is an arrestable offense.”

Although gun control legislation in Massachusetts is among the strongest in the country, gun violence remains an issue in the state, according to Barber.

“Gun violence is a public health issue that affects every corner of Massachusetts. Nearly all of us have been personally affected by gun violence, and thousands of people die prematurely due to firearms,” Barber wrote. “We need to continue to pass common-sense rules to ensure safe gun ownership and keep our neighborhoods safe.”

People who are impacted by gun violence inspire Schneur and her colleagues to keep pushing for gun reform.

“I know a lot of the attention to gun violence prevention comes after some events in the news, and that’s heart - breaking, but there are more than 110 people that die by gun violence every day, and 60% of them are from suicide,” Schneur said. “Of course, many more people are impacted or injured. Survivors of gun violence, family members [and] friends need a lot of support, and we are really here to help them and to make sure that we prevent more [from] joining this horrific group. So that’s what drives me and many of our volunteers.”