Columbus Emergency Workers Call For Gun Control

Columbus doctors and emergency personnel, Thursday, called on Congress to act against gun violence. WOSU reports the effort was part of the national movement, Mayors Against Illegal Guns. “We’ve had our medics shot out. We’ve had the front windows of our fire house shot out," Columbus Assistant Fire Chief David Whiting said. Whiting was among area emergency personnel who met at a Clintonville firehouse to call for commonsense gun regulations. “I’ve been on runs, the first one there, where I have a five-year-old that’s been shot by their brother. And they’re dead," he recalled. Columbus Fire reports 1,800 gun-related incidents during the past five years. Whiting said the calls pose a dangerous and emotional setting. Some EMTs have begun wearing bullet-proof vests. And once the job is complete, they rely on each other for support. Nationwide Children’s Hospital trauma surgeon Jonathan Groner, who has treated child gunshot victims, also supports gun restrictions. And Groner urges more gun research funding. But he said the dialogue needs to change first. “Putting this in the context of a constitutional issue is really not helpful from a public health perspective...I think to get it out of that context is probably one of the big first steps. It’s not a constitutional issue, it’s public health issue," Groner said. While failing to point to specifics, the group does support background checks.