30 Years of Evidence, Impact, and Solutions
The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School of Public Health celebrates 30 years of action.
Co-directors of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, Josh Horwitz, JD, and Cass Crifasi, PhD '14, MPH deliver remarks at the Center's "30 Years of Action" celebration.
This week the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School of Public Health celebrated 30 years of action. Advocates, researchers, and supporters came together at the Bloomberg School Wolfe Street Building in Baltimore to commemorate three decades of results and recommit to continuing the push for solutions to gun violence.
“Tonight, we celebrate not only the incredible progress we’ve made in understanding and preventing gun violence but also the people. Researchers, advocates, partners, and supporters, who have all made this work possible,” said Josh Horwitz, JD, Center co-director. “This milestone is a testament to the power of public health research, evidence-based policy, and a deep commitment to saving lives.”
Founded by professor emeritus Stephen Teret, JD, MPH '79, Jon Vernick, JD, MPH '94 and Bloomberg Professor of American Health Daniel Webster, ScD '91, MPH as the Center for Gun Policy and Research in 1995, the Center was the first of its kind to focus exclusively on gun violence prevention research. Since then, the Center and its team have pioneered the public health approach to gun violence prevention. Its experts have been at the forefront of research that has shaped effective solutions to gun violence like child access prevention laws, Firearm Purchaser Licensing, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
Daniel Webster, ScD '91, MPH, speaks at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions "30 Years of Action" celebration.
“When we started this work, gun violence was often framed as purely a criminal justice issue, something for law enforcement to address,” said Webster. “We knew better. We understood that gun violence, in all its forms, could be best addressed as a public health issue grounded in science, community partnerships, and a broad array of prevention strategies.”
In 2022, the renamed Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy merged with the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence to become the current Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Since merging, the Center has combined advocacy efforts with nationally leading research to advance programs and policy solutions backed by data.
“We’re celebrating 30 years of progress, but more importantly, we’re reaffirming our commitment to the work ahead of us,” said Cass Crifasi, PhD ‘14, MPH. “Over the last three decades, Johns Hopkins has built a foundation of knowledge, action, and progress. But there is still so much more to do.”
The Center is committed to continuing its life-saving work to end the public health epidemic of gun violence. In 2024, the Center announced its goal to reduce gun violence 30% by 2030. Research shows by implementing the Center’s five that save lives, policies proven to reduce gun violence and make communities safer, that goal can be a reality. In 2022, more than 48,000 people died by firearms in the United States, a 30% reduction would mean 14,400 lives saved.
Watch our new video to see the Center’s history of success.
