St. Louis community reacts to U.S. surgeon general declaring gun violence a public health crisis

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) -- The U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence a public health crisis on Tuesday.

“We have now reached the point where gun violence is the leading cause of death among kids and teens. The leading cause of death,” Dr. Vivek Murthy said. “That is something that we should never take as the new normal.”

The declaration comes days after mass shootings across the country, including when St. Louis was in the national spotlight again for gun violence, after six people were shot Downtown.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis in our country that requires a public health solution,” Dr. Murthy said.

In St. Louis City, First Alert 4 found about 60 people are shot per month on average.

Former trauma surgeon Dr. LJ Punch now runs the Bullet Related Injury Clinic, or BRIC, in St. Louis. The goal of BRIC is to bridge gaps in care for gun violence victims and their families.

“I have never seen the gun that shot any of my patients but I’ve taken out more bullets than I care to remember,” Dr. Punch said.

Dr. Punch said one of the biggest risk factors for future victims is being a former victim of gun violence.

“I think bullets are endemic, meaning they’re everywhere,” Dr. Punch said. “They’re in our lives. They’re in our TV’s. They’re in our media. They’re in our homes. The truth is living that close to life-threatening force has changed our health and well-being as a country.”

The declaration by the U.S. surgeon general is something Dr. Punch is calling a step in the right direction.

“What we need is to better understand the impact bullets have in people’s lives and properly support recovery and prevention for what bullets do to people’s bodies,” Dr. Punch said.

Despite gun violence being the leading cause of death for kids and teens, Dr. Punch said there’s a lack of funding and resources for survivors and families.

“A lifetime of pain, depression, discomfort and a constant reminder that one day your life almost ended,” Dr. Punch said. “By not tending to those needs, we’re letting the disease spread.”

For SLMPD Chief Robert Tracy, this declaration by the surgeon general wasn’t a surprising one and is one he supports.

“We have to have reasonable gun laws to be able to address this and the people who do carry firearms, legally or illegally, that are out causing harm to other people need to be held accountable,” Chief Tracy said. “We need to have good laws in place, reasonable laws, on who can carry them.”

Dr. Punch wants to make it clear that this is not an attack on responsible gun owners.

“We as a community can educate ourselves,” Dr. Punch said. “St. Louis can make a decision just because we have laws that might get guns into the wrong hands doesn’t mean the community can’t take them back, educate our young people about responsible gun ownership and help protect our homes.”

If you are a victim of gun violence, the Bullet Related Injury Clinic offers completely free resources ranging from wound care to pain management to trauma recovery.

You can call or text 314-624-0398 to set up an appointment. Transportation can also be provided for patients.

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