- A Domestic Violence Gun law went into effect Feb.13. 2024.
- The law prohibits those who have been criminally charged with domestic violence from carrying a firearm for at least 8 years.
- Domestic Violence Prevention Advocate Tanesha Ash-Shakoor said the law is needed to decrease the number of domestic violence related homicides.
Tanesha Ash-Shakoor said she was in an abusive relationship for eight months, and it almost turned deadly.
“I remember laying down there on the bed, and he had a knife to my stomach, and I am thinking about my family because my family didn't know,” she said.
Tanesha said that day, her ex-boyfriend held her at knife-point for at least 3 hours. Eventually, she managed to get out. Years later, she turned that traumatizing experience into something to help others. She started Voices of Color.
“We've been servicing domestic violence survivors since 2014, and we began an organization in 2015,” Ash-Shakoor said. “We basically try to fill the gaps to help people get out. From protection orders to help with relocating and more.”
In addition to helping survivors get the help they need, Ash-Shakoor also been pushing for work to be done on the state level to help domestic violence victims. Last Tuesday, a new law was passed to help with the cause.
“The domestic violence law says somebody who has been convicted of a domestic violence episode, that for eight years there's a prohibition on them purchasing or posing a firearm,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel.
HAVEN, a domestic violence resource center, reports more than 100 domestic violence related homicides happen in Michigan every year, Ash-Shakoor believes now that this new law is in effect.. that number will decrease.
“Statistically, it shows when there's a weapon involved, there's more likely to be a murder, so being intentional about who could possess guns will really help lower that number,” she said.
