New Gun Violence Prevention Task Force report makes commonsense recommendations to reduce gun violence, save lives in Michigan

Days before anniversary of Oxford school shooting, task force releases new report to continue momentum in reductions of deaths and injuries involving firearms 

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, which includes community partners, state departments, medical experts, law enforcement professionals, tribal representatives and academic researchers, released a new report today with recommendations designed to reduce gun violence. Developed over the last year with input from a wide range of advocates, the report focuses on the importance of implementing proven strategies to save lives. 

Report recommendations include: 

Waiting periods and background checks 

•          Require waiting periods for all firearm purchases. This allows for a cooling-off period that can prevent impulsive acts of gun violence. They also allow for more time for a background check. States that require universal background checks are associated with 10% lower homicide rates. 
•          Increase the eligible age of firearm purchase to 21. Studies suggest raising the minimum age reduces firearm suicide rates in young adults. Additionally, the parts of the brain responsible for impulse control and decision making are not fully developed before the age of 21. 
•          Close the concealed pistol license loophole that allows an individual to purchase a firearm without a background check or permit. This will improve public safety by reducing the number of prohibited people who can own a firearm without oversight. 

Ban ghost guns 

•          Ghost guns are untraceable firearms that don’t have serial numbers. Banning these will prevent individuals who are prohibited from owning firearms from acquiring untraceable weapons, improving public safety and reducing crime rates.  

  School and community safety 

•          Strengthen existing school safety legislation. This will protect our students and make sure students who are struggling can get the help they need without harming others. 
•          Standardize training for school resource officers and promote a single school safety tip line statewide. This will make sure there is a standard procedure for school resource officers to follow in case of an emergency, improving safety for our kids. Additionally, schools that use a safety tip line experienced 13.5% fewer incidents than schools without one. 
•          Support Community Violence Intervention efforts. These programs are proven to break cycles of violence and address violence at the roots by supporting community members and making housing, mental health services and food more accessible to those in need. 

Stronger safe storage policies 

•          Educate the public on secure firearm storage and expand access to free locking devices. Storing firearms securely ensures children cannot easily access firearms, preventing unintentional shootings, gun suicides and gun theft. 

  Policies to strengthen red flag laws and domestic violence protections 

•          Create clear guidelines for firearm relinquishment. This is critical for public safety and will reduce homicides by creating a process for individuals prohibited from owning firearms to turn them into local law enforcement agencies.  
•          Remove barriers for filing Extreme Risk Protection Orders and Personal Protection Orders and improve enforcement of orders. This will increase the ability for these life-saving tools to be implemented successfully in our communities. 
•          Strengthen victim support services to address the harm of domestic violence. 

Assault Weapons 

•          Prohibit the possession of large capacity magazines. The more rounds a shooter can fire without reloading, the more people they can hurt. No civilian needs a large capacity magazine – for personal safety or hunting. These are weapons of war and should be prohibited to reduce mass casualty deaths. 
•          Prohibit the sale, possession, manufacture or transfer of assault weapons. Similar to large capacity magazines, these are weapons no civilian needs to own. They are often used in mass shootings. Prohibiting them will save lives. 
•          Ban automatic conversion devices or “Glock switches,” devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic guns.    

The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force also recommends the creation of a Firearm Safety Policy Implementation Team to guide the rollout of policy and programmatic proposals outlined above. 

“This week, we mark the four-year anniversary of the shooting at Oxford High School, where we lost four precious lives,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “While we’ve made significant progress since then, gun violence remains an epidemic, with over 11,000 preventable deaths and injuries just this year. We all want to keep Michiganders safe. These recommendations will help us do exactly that. Together, let’s keep getting it done and save lives.” 

“No one should have to fear gun violence at home, school, church, work, or as they go about their daily lives,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Governor Whitmer and I are proud of the progress we have made to prevent gun violence in Michigan, including our red flag laws, universal background checks and safe storage. These recommendations will build on our work and help us continue Standing Tall to save lives and keep Michiganders safe.” 

“Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and teens in the United States – surpassing motor vehicle accidents, drownings and childhood cancers – which underscores the urgent need for action,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive and chair of the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “This roadmap reflects the collective expertise and lived experiences of our task force and offers a clear, evidence-based path forward to protect Michigan families and save lives.” 

“Michigan has the opportunity to realize enduring decreases in violence,” said Alia Harvey-Quinn, task force member and founder of FORCE Detroit. “It’s important that we take a well-researched approach to implementing community violence intervention (CVI) best practices in order to achieve lasting safety results. The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force report is an excellent tool for local leaders to draw from in designing and strengthening local CVI strategies.” 

“Firearm suicide is the leading cause of firearm death nationally and statewide,” said Marianne Huff, president and CEO of Mental Health Association in Michigan and task force member. “This report includes expanding access to services, reducing stigma and ensuring that conversations about secure storage and crisis response are happening across health systems. When we connect the dots between mental health and safety, we save lives.”  

The Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was created under Executive Order 2024-4, signed by Governor Whitmer to improve implementation of existing laws, maximize resources and strengthen coordination across sectors to reduce gun violence and save lives. 

Housed within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, task force membership reflects a wide range of expertise and lived experience. The University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention provided research and programmatic support for task force work.  

To learn more about the task force and view the report, visit the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force webpage. Firearm injury and violence data is available on the Injury and Violence Data webpage.

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