The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded Greene County, Missouri, federal funding as part of a nationwide $690 million initiative aimed at preventing domestic violence by restricting firearm access for abusers. The effort builds on the 1996 Lautenberg Amendment, which prohibits anyone convicted of domestic abuse from possessing guns.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Teresa Moore will collaborate with local law enforcement and prosecutors in Greene County to focus on prosecuting gun possession offenses related to domestic violence and reducing firearm-related intimate partner violence. This initiative is part of a broader federal push to curb intimate partner violence. In June 2024, the United States Supreme Court rejected an attempt by gun rights groups to overturn a federal law that banned domestic abusers from owning guns. The gun rights advocates argued that the law was a violation of the Second Amendment but in an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court did not agree.
When an abusive partner has access to a firearm, the threat of domestic violence is much more likely to turn deadly. According to Everytown’s 2019 analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), in the United States 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every month. One million women alive today report having a gun used against them by an intimate partner and 4.5 million women have been threatened with gun violence by a partner.
Springfield sits at the top of the list of reported domestic violence cases in the state of Missouri. According to the Springfield Daily Citizen’s Living in Fear series there were at least 16 domestic assaults that ended in homicides or murder suicides from 2018-2023. A female is more likely to be killed by an intimate partner with a firearm than all other means combined.
Greene County is one of 78 recipients of the federal grant that will be disbursed among 47 states, with the exact amount of money to be received by each county yet to be released. The plan will be carried out as a coordinated effort between local law enforcement offices, the FBI, the ATF, and U.S. Marshals and U.S. Attorneys offices throughout the United States.
In a September 2024 speech commemorating the anniversary of the federal Violence Against Women Act, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland called the grant a “surge” in the battle against domestic violence and said that “Justice Department agents and prosecutors will work hand-in-hand with community stakeholders to develop strategies and prioritize prosecutions for unlawful possession of a gun by those who have committed domestic violence offenses.”
The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide against women by 500 percent (https://gunresponsibility.org/solution/domestic-violence-prevention/). If you are experiencing domestic violence and are concerned about weapons in your home, we can help you plan how to stay safe. We are here to help whether you plan to stay in the relationship, need help planning how to leave, or anywhere in between.
About GCFJC
The Greene County Family Justice Center is a non-profit collaborative of local agencies offering comprehensive services to survivors of domestic, sexual, and family violence. Our services are trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and we welcome survivors at any point in their process. We partner with local non-profit service providers as well as local law enforcement, the Prosecutor’s office, and Children’s Division to make victim services more accessible and completely voluntary. If you do not want to participate in the criminal justice process, we support you.
Our vision is a future where we all work together to meet the needs of domestic violence and human trafficking survivors through comprehensive and accessible services, education, and perpetrator accountability. Through a coordinated framework and co-located response, we strive to break the vicious generational cycle and community impact of domestic violence and resulting victimizations.
We can help you plan for your safety whether you plan to stay in the relationship, or you are actively trying to escape. All our services are free, confidential and survivor centered. Have questions about what services are available? Visit us at 1418 E. Pythian Street or give us a call at 417-874-2600. We are open 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. For after-hours assistance, call the Harmony House/Victim Center’s 24-hour safe line at 417-864-SAFE (7233). If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.