Gun violence prevention rally at the Capitol

Frankfort, Ky (WTVQ): The state of Kentucky is one of the top five states with the most lenient gun laws.
Thursday, activists gathered at the capitol to shed light on the issue of gun violence.

Devine Carama, the leader of ONE Lexington, a gun violence prevention program, came to Frankfort alongside mothers, students and lawmakers. “This is a right or wrong moment,” Carama said. “It does not matter what political party you are a part of. This is the issue of the moment. We are tired of losing young people to gun violence,” Carama says that more than 95% of the murders in Lexington are with a gun. “When I have a 14 year old that I work with who tells me Mr. Devine it is easier for me to get a gun than to get a job that tells me something,” he said.

Kentucky has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. Ricardo Franklin, the community outreach Coordinator for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, shared the story of losing his brother Antonio Franklin Junior, a 21-year-old who died ten years ago to gun violence. “We ask our legislators and law makers is one life not worth saving? I think it is a battle worth fighting for, if you can save one, you can save many,” said Franklin.

Kentucky is in the top 20 for gun suicide rates in the country. David Yates cosponsors the CARR Act, Crisis Aversion Rights Retention bill that would keep guns out of the hands of those that are dangerous to themselves and others. “To make sure that, that individual with a mental health crisis with a firearm gets help. To me that is common sense,” Yates said.