‘We are at the threshold of change’ for gun violence, Fountain Square shooting survivor says

After surviving the Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting at Cincinnati’s Fountain Square building, Whitney Austin cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, with the focus of finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions.

A wife and a mother of two, Whitney resides in Louisville.

Though my body was riddled with bullets, I found hope the moment my eyes locked with Cincinnati Police Officer Al Staples. I had walked into the gunfire of a mass shooting, but Al would be my savior. While the situation was critical, I had hope and faith that the skilled officers and medical professionals surrounding me would find a way to save me. And they did.

Today I find myself in a similar position as the executive director of Whitney/Strong, an organization I co-founded with my husband Waller to end gun violence through common ground and responsible gun ownership solutions. Due to the recent and tragic loss of life in mass shootings across the United States, we are approaching the threshold for change once again. Just as before, when my life hung in the balance, I have hope and faith that this is the moment we cross it.

My husband and I grew up in and still live in the South. We are gun owners. We know that preserving the Second Amendment and reducing gun violence are not mutually exclusive goals. We also know Americans, of both political parties, are highly motivated to see this issue addressed and the trends of death and injury reversed.

However, there is a group of discouraged Americans with a fatalistic viewpoint. They say, “If America didn’t act after the slaughter of 21 innocent first graders, they will never act.” Often those resigned to this belief are the most motivated toward change, but their mind prevents them from transitioning from despair to action.

Change will never come without hope. Hope is the essential catalyst for action. This bears repeating. Hope is the essential catalyst for action.

While I empathize with desperation, I encourage all who have grown to accept an eternal impasse to abandon it.

We have made progress. In December 2019, Whitney/Strong, along with many others, successfully lobbied Congress to once again fund research on gun violence. At the time of appropriation, it had been more than two decades since Congress agreed in this way on this matter. This moment was a signal of hope for future bipartisan efforts, as well as a significant opportunity to help us better understand what interventions could help reduce gun violence.

In Kentucky, where I live, Whitney/Strong has worked with the only bipartisan team of state lawmakers in the country to champion a risk protection law to prevent harm to self or others with a firearm. This legislation is known as Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention, or CARR. CARR provides more tangible proof that bipartisan change is underway, and I am so very proud of the courageous state lawmakers behind it.

Whitney/Strong brings together gun violence survivors, gun owners, and people of all political identities who are motivated to reduce all forms of gun violence. By championing evidence-based solutions that most agree upon, we have seen real progress.

These examples are evidence of hope, but now it’s time for action. Motivated like never before, there is a small group of U.S. Senators working as a bipartisan unit to make a deal on solutions to prevent gun violence. What I tell our volunteers and donors is that it is your responsibility to encourage them to keep going.

There are multiple forces at work attempting to prevent this moment of change. The political forces are real, and Republicans must be rewarded for their courage in this moment. Accordingly, Democrats must not be punished for compromised agreement. Above all else, we must see Congress make a deal and pass life-saving legislation.

If you want to do something, listed below is the bipartisan team and where they can be reached. The most effective tactic for raising your voice is to contact them as a constituent. Ask your friends and family members located in the states listed below to send a hand-written letter. If that cannot be done, send an email. As a last option, call one of their state offices and say, “I support Congress coming together to reduce gun violence in America. Thank you for your efforts to do this. Keep going.”

Do these things repeatedly and encourage your network to do the same. We cannot stop until we cross the threshold together. Our innocent American children are counting on us. Certainly, they are worth our hope and action.

Arizona
Kyrsten Sinema
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-4521

Or send her a message.

Connecticut
Chris Murphy
136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-4041

Or send him a message.

Richard Blumenthal
706 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2823

Or send him a message.

Kentucky
Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510

202-224-2541

Or send him a message.

Louisiana
Bill Cassidy
520 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-5824

Or send him a message.

Maine
Susan Collins
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2523

Or send her a message.

New York
Chuck Schumer
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-228-3027

Or send him a message.

Pennsylvania
Patrick Toomey
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-4254

Or send him a message.

South Carolina
Lindsey Graham
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-5972

Or send him a message.

West Virgina
Joe Manchin
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-3954

Or send him a message.

Texas
John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2934

Or send him a message.

Blogpost about Grad School

Terrell Williams

It’s astonishing how much can happen in five years. I can remember my teachers asking me as a youth, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”. While that question has always been hard to answer, it felt impossible to answer after a narrow escape from death. 

On a warm spring day in 2017, I left my car running as I quickly ran in a convenience store. I was in the store for less than one minute. Upon my exit, I was confronted with a thief attempting to steal my car. As I realized what was happening, I pulled out my gun, loaded the chamber, and pointed my gun in the direction of the thief. Little did I know, the thief had multiple people across the street looking out for him. As soon as they saw my gun, they started firing their own weapons. As a result of the attempted carjacking, I suffered two gunshot wounds. One bullet entered my chest, drove through my right lung, and then exited my body after striking my spine. Another bullet pierced the right side of my neck and became lodged in the left side of my chin. 

In that moment, I knew I was going to die. There was no way I could survive such a significant injury. Before I took my last breath, there was one last thing that I needed to do, pray. I vividly remember pleading to God, saying the same words over and over, “God, please take care of me”. As I write these words today, it is clear he did more than take care of me. God strengthened, guided, and propelled me to a level I never knew was imaginable. 

I grew up in a neighborhood where the options seemed limited, however, I now see that is far from the truth. The truth is, we rarely see all our options due to a toxic smoke bomb of uncertainty, fear, and disinformation. While this is the case for many others like me, defying the odds, overcoming adversity, and navigating unforeseen circumstances are attributes we are all capable of developing. However, trying to accomplish this alone is 10x harder.  

Over the past five years, I’ve been blessed to have the support and guidance of family and friends, but today, I specifically want to acknowledge the impact Whitney/Strong has had on my journey. When I first met Whitney, we were at a trauma survivors’ event at University of Louisville Hospital. We’re in a club that nobody ever wants to join, but I’m extremely grateful that our paths crossed. Through gun violence, we developed an unbreakable bond that has led to more than I ever could have expected. 

For starters, I was introduced to an amazing group of people that I otherwise wouldn’t have been introduced to. At first, it felt like I came from a different Louisville than many of the people I was brought into contact with. Gun violence was a part of everyday life for me, and the people I met had only recently been impacted by gun violence. However, working with the board and other W/S supporters, I saw and felt their support to not only end mass gun violence, but various types of gun violence, including the form I was most familiar with. This showed me that people from outside the neighborhood do genuinely care about the well-being of people like myself, which, in my eyes, meant that change isn’t just possible, but it is imminent. 

The story doesn’t stop there. As I get older, I realize that continuously developing personally and professionally is a must if we want to make the biggest impact we can before our short time on Earth is over. W/S is providing me with the opportunity to do just that by gaining real-world experience in a field that I love. Through W/S, I have not only been able to develop accounting skills that will aid me in succeeding in an ever-changing industry, but it has also helped me build a resume like no other. A resume that has led to my enrollment in grad school. 

In the Spring, I will be graduating from the University of Louisville with my bachelor’s degree in accounting. In the Fall, I will be starting the Jenkins MAC program at North Carolina State University. To make things even grander, I received a firm-sponsored scholarship from RSM US that ensures grad school is paid for in full and provides me with a full-time position upon graduation!

If someone asked me five years ago where I thought I would be today, it sure as hell wouldn’t be the reality of my situation. But that’s what is so rewarding about staying persistent, open-minded, and surrounded by loved ones. You look up, and BOOM, the fruits of your labor are more than you ever could have imagined. Even though we all will have different paths in life, anything that can be dreamed, can be achieved. I’m beyond grateful that W/S has contributed and will continue to contribute to the success of my journey through opportunities, friendships, and love. 

A New Year Message

Whitney/Strong Family,

The past three years have been a whirlwind. First, with my miraculous survival and recovery. Second, with the building of Whitney/Strong. While I look back on all that we have been able to accomplish together with great pride, I know that our story is just beginning. 

I am proud, but I will never be too proud when the number of shootings and firearm deaths in America continue to climb. Numbers drive me, and gun violence statistics over the last two years have been abysmal for our country. The overall firearm death rate in the U.S. reached the highest level ever recorded in 2020, claiming the lives of more than 45,000 Americans¹. This number is a 14% increase over 2019, and is largely driven by an increase in homicides of nearly 5,000. There is a reason 2020 was deemed the most violent year in decades by the Washington Post.

2021 data is not yet final, but initial results show the raw number of firearm deaths as comparable. 

We have political and cultural factors that make progress on reducing gun violence in America seem impossible. It is easy to believe that change will never come. I get it, but I don’t buy it.

You may wonder how I can have hope for a future with less gun violence in the face of these challenges. To truly answer that question I would need more time than you can spend reading this email. So simply put, I have hope because of gratitude, your support, and strategy. Let me share with you why I have hope for 2022.

Gratitude

I have a well filled with gratitude. I often imagine it is even too deep for me to see the bottom of it. I will keep returning to the well for the sustenance I need to keep going. My New Years’ wish is for you to find your own well, and visit it often for the energy you need to make a difference in the lives of others.

Support

In the last three years of building Whitney/Strong we have seen our supporter network across Ohio and Kentucky increase to 5,000+. This is a giant leap from our early days in late 2018 as we celebrated reaching 100 followers on social media! 

I could list many examples of your loyal support. Helping us meet our fundraising goal to unlock a $50,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation. Generously participating in Cincinnati Gives to ensure we secured first place, and an additional $12,000 in prize dollars. I doubt you recognize what these gestures mean to me and the Whitney/Strong team. Your support is not only the vehicle to ensure a future with less gun violence, it is a steady message of encouragement to our small and mighty team.

Strategy

We talk a lot about strategy at Whitney/Strong and I want you to be a part of those conversations. The root causes of gun violence are vast: poverty, under-resourced public services, lack of opportunity and perceptions of hopelessness, and easy access to firearms by high-risk people just to name a few. Whitney/Strong alone will never be able to tackle all of them.

From the very beginning we have set a strategy that prioritizes what we have in common, not our differences. Our carefully-considered solutions are not only rooted in common ground, they are evidence-based. We understand that when progress is limited, we must only spend energy on solutions that will work.

We know the importance of setting short- and long-term goals.  Right now, we are focused on training as many people as possible on ways they can reduce gun violence and funding research so we are better prepared to advocate for policy change in the future.  In the long term, we will continue to build a coalition of elected officials willing to embrace bipartisan legislation to reduce gun violence.  Legislative change will take time, but it will be worth it.  

When you understand that we are simultaneously creating change now, and greasing the political wheels for it in the future, hope is much easier to come by. 

There is strong evidence for hope with Whitney/Strong.

Thank you for being a part of our story. 2022 is going to be a big year and I am happy to kick it off alongside you! I encourage you to follow along with our work through email and social media.  Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing ways that you can get involved with this important work.  We need your help to continue creating change.  

With you by our side, we enter 2022 with renewed energy and hope for a future with less gun violence.

Gratefully,

Whitney

¹Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

A Message from Whitney Austin

In case you are unaware, an alleged TikTok challenge promoting school violence is trending today. The threat is so real that at some schools across the country, increased police presence is necessary and parents are choosing to keep their children home.

As parents and guardians, we accept certain risks when we send our children off to school. For example, we accept that they may not be treated fairly by their peers, or that they might not make the team.

What we cannot accept is gun violence within our schools.

This alleged trend did not develop in a vacuum. It is a symptom of how broken we are as Americans. It is a glaring sign that our children are desperate to be loved and supported.

If you aren’t ready to accept the risk of gun violence within our schools, please join us @whitstrongorg. We seek common ground to end gun violence through education, legislation, and research.

In the meantime, please remember to:

  •       Safely store your firearms

  •       Believe someone when they tell you plans of self-harm or violence, and get help from a mental health professional or law enforcement

  •       Sign our petition for Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention

  •       Love the children in your life and advocate for their mental health needs

 We can do better together.

Whitney

“In the room where it happened…”

Our family just returned from a vacation that placed us in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July. In all of America there is no better place from which to celebrate our independence.

If you can, take your children to this most fabulous historical wonderland. My hope is that my children never forget being in the room where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed, where the first peaceful transfer of power occurred from Washington to Adams, where Kentucky became a state, and where Congress held debates and passed bills for the first ten years of our early life as a country.

Being there in the exact place these monumental events occurred was powerful. Shivers-up-your-spine kind of powerful. The Founders desire to do something special was guided by this belief.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights among which are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

So noble. So righteous.

Have we always succeeded in this principle? No, not hardly. There are many moments that feel so far from this in my journey to keep us safe from gun violence as the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Whitney/Strong. Even more for our friends that still feel this principle of equality is not within their reach.

Still, I stand by this revolutionary declaration and what it sought to provide. My commitment to ensuring these rights are available to all, the least of which is a country not plagued by gun violence, is still fully intact.

For we do not have access to life if it is senselessly stripped from us by a bullet. For we do not have freedom if we must regularly fear gun violence in public places. And the pursuit of happiness? Well, it seems irrelevant to a country burdened by the epidemic of gun violence. 

Visiting Philadelphia was special. This country is still special, but gun violence threatens that. I will continue to work and pray every day that change will come, with your help. Our children deserve it.

Ohio Gun Violence Statistics

Last year brought a lot of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to major changes in just about every conceivable aspect of our lives, rates of depression and violence were higher than in many years past. This is surprising considering most people were on lockdown for the greater part of the year. Alarmingly, more guns were also purchased in the first three months of 2021 than in any three month period in state history.

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These statistics show that the work to end gun violence is needed now more than ever.
Support the work of Whitney/Strong with your donation today.

Kentucky Gun Violence Statistics

Last year brought a lot of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to major changes in just about every conceivable aspect of our lives, rates of depression and violence were higher than in many years past. This is surprising considering most people were on lockdown for the greater part of the year. Alarmingly, more guns were also purchased in the first three months of 2021 than in any three month period in state history.

Image Name

Share this Image On Your Site

*Click anywhere in the box, when code is highlighted, simply right click and copy or “cmd + c” on Mac & “Ctrl + c” on Windows - Please remember to keep attribution! Thank you!

These statistics show that the work to end gun violence is needed now more than ever.
Support the work of Whitney/Strong with your donation today.

Firearm Statistics Infographic

Gun violence is not “someone else’s issue.” It is an issue that, statistically, affect each and every one of us at some point in our lives. Consider sharing this on social media, or in your blog or your website. The more we can all openly discuss the issues, statistics and solutions - without politics or opinions - we can start to see a brighter and safer future for us all. You can use the provided embed code at the bottom of the infographic for easy sharing!

Gun Violence Infographic

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*Click anywhere in the box, when code is highlighted, simply right click and copy or “cmd + c” on Mac & “Ctrl + c” on Windows - Please remember to keep attribution! Thank you!

These statistics show that the work to end gun violence is needed now more than ever.
Support the work of Whitney/Strong with your donation today.