The California Department of Justice is launching an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the first state in the U.S. to do so.
The unit will be dedicated to developing strategies and working with stakeholders statewide to address the gun violence epidemic, according to a Sept. 21 news release from the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
"This moment of crisis demands more than thoughts and prayers — we need action now," Mr. Bonta said. "That is why as California Attorney General, I am doubling down on California's gun safety efforts: I am defending our commonsense gun safety laws in court and cracking down on the surge of untraceable ghost guns. I am proud to lead a team of special agents that remove firearms from the hands of dangerous individuals."
A nationwide search is underway to recruit a director for the office.