Panel addresses impacts of gun violence and gun laws in communities

Gianna Montesano, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read
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VERO BEACH — The United States has seen at least 34,916 deaths caused by gun violence this year, according to Gun Violence Archive.

For Indian River County, the number is one in 2023, according to Sheriff Eric Flowers.

How many people in Indian River County hold gun permits is unknown since it's illegal to keep a database. And that presents a problem for law enforcement, Flowers told an audience gathered Saturday for a panel discussion on gun violence.

"How many people in Indian River County have a permit? I don't know," Flowers said. "I can't tell you that, I'm not legally allowed to do that. I'm not allowed to keep a database of people who have guns. It's unconstitutional for me to do that."

The panel, organized by the American Association of University Women Vero Beach branch, centered around gun violence and its effects on mental health. It also examined the costs gun violence brings to communities and gun violence statistics.

Comprising the panel were Flowers; Wes Samons, executive director of Mental Health Collaborative of Indian River County; and Kyp Wasiuk, American Association of University Women Vero Beach branch parliamentarian, director for governance .

How much does gun violence cost communities?

The cost to treat firearms injuries in the U.S. averaged $30,703 in 2016-2017, compared to the $12,039 average for other injuries for inpatient hospital stays, according to a study by Equitable Growth on the economic cost of gun violence.

"Surviving a gun violence act costs our society so much," Samons said.

Besides monetary costs, gun violence can bring an emotional burden for communities impacted and can change people's behavior, making them more wary of going to places such as music festivals and movie theaters.

After hearing about an act of gun violence, people can subconsciously think, "What if somebody comes in with a gun," Samons said.

"If there's a gun violence act in your community, even if you weren't there, it's going to affect you," Samons said. "... When you hear statistics about (how) so many people were shot in a gun violence act or mass shooting, it doesn't really tell the whole picture of how it affected that community."

What is the Florida permitless-carry law?

Flowers addressed the new permitless-carry gun law that went into effect July 1, making Florida the 26th state allowing permitless carry. Open carry remains illegal in Florida.

With permitless carry, concealed weapons are permitted only in certain locations and are prohibited in places such as courthouses, schools, police stations and other locations specified by Florida Statutes. Carriers must have a government-issued ID if requested by law enforcement.

Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services still has the authority to issue licenses to carry concealed weapons. Under Florida law, individuals must satisfy the criteria to obtain and maintain a license in order to carry without a permit.

The Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services lists these criteria:

  • Be 21 years or older.

  • Be an active U.S. servicemember or on active duty or state active duty; all members of the Florida National Guard and United States Reserve Forces; or an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces and be 18 years or older

  • Demonstrate competency with a firearm

  • Reside in the U.S. and be a U.S. citizen; be deemed a lawful permanent resident alien by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and provide a valid Permanent Resident Alien card.

There are restrictions on gun ownership for people convicted of a felony, dishonorably discharged, adjudicated mentally defective or involuntarily committed to treatment or other conditions recognized by the state.

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: How gun violence impacts communities discussed in Vero Beach