Obtaining ownership
Principle: We believe those who are a danger to themselves or others should not be allowed to purchase or receive a firearm as a gift or as a transfer from another person.
Firearm registration
Principle: A firearm should be transferred with registration in accordance to federal law 18 U.S.C. § 922[g][1-9] just as other properties are, such as vehicles or a home. This would include the private sale and the transfer of property that is bequeathed from an estate or among family members.
Licensure
Principle: Certain classes of weapons with significant offensive capability are currently appropriately restricted and regulated under the National Firearms Act classification as class III weapons (eg fully automatic machine guns, explosive devices, and short-barreled shotguns).
Education and Training
Principle: Responsible firearm ownership and use comes with significant responsibility and understanding of safe handling, care, and use.
Safe storage
Principle: Owners who do not provide reasonable, safe firearm storage should be held responsible for adverse events related to discharge of their firearm(s).
Mandatory reporting/risk mitigation (Red Flag laws)
Principle: For individuals who are deemed an imminent threat to themselves or others, firearm ownership should be temporarily or permanently restricted based on due process.
Safety innovation and technology
Principle: Firearm ownership should be made safer through the use of innovative technology such as that used in automobile safety.
Funding for public health research
Principle: Research to understand health conditions underpins the modern practice of medicine and is essential to improve care and develop effective interventions for all health care conditions.
Culture of violence
Principle: We all own the culture of violence. The same principle of freedom with responsibility applies to the manner in which mass killings are communicated to the public. We have concerns that the manner and tone in which information is released to the public and covered by the media likely leads to “copy-cat” mass killers.
Social isolation and mental health
Principle: Social Isolation combined with exaggerated depictions of violence, especially when targeted towards young men, likely contributes to violence in the US.22
(22. Council on Communications and Media. Media violence. Pediatrics 2009;124:1495-1503.)
For evident signs of violent ideation, thoughts, or actions encourage peers, teachers, and family to “see something, say something” and report to appropriate local and national law enforcement
These recommendations were developed by trauma surgeons and firearm owners to make firearm ownership safer for all Americans.
Released 11/14/2018
Journal of the American College of Surgeons