Fifty years ago my father committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart. Needless to say, in the late 1960s, neither my brother nor I knew that we were gun violence survivors.
Neither of us know where or how he was able to access a firearm. We do know that had an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) law been on the books in our state, he potentially would have been prevented from taking his life.
Although the scars from such an experience fade to observers over time, the loss remains, and the deep wound does not heal.