New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared gun violence a public health emergency, following the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy in an alleged road rage incident.
In an executive order signed on Thursday, the governor called for an emergency fund of $750,000 and urged various government departments to collaborate on tackling the issue. She also wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting additional law enforcement agents to combat criminal networks.
The governor highlighted the deaths of the 11-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl murdered last month, describing them as "disgusting acts of violence". Statistics show that gun deaths in New Mexico rose by 43% between 2009 and 2018, compared to 18% nationally.
However, the move drew criticism from House Republican Minority Leader Ryan Lane, who accused the governor of politicising the children's deaths to push an "anti-gun agenda". He blamed Democratic policies for exacerbating the crime crisis.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 25,000 gun-related deaths and 470 mass shootings in the US in 2023.
