Standing Up for Victims of Domestic Violence — the Domestic Violence Criminal Disarmament Act
Just over a year ago, our country mourned for the tragic loss of Zina Daniel. Zina was shot and killed by her estranged husband while at work in the Azana Salon and Spa in Brookfield, Wisconsin. She was a mother of two daughters and was well loved by her family and the community. Last month, I met with Zina’s brother, Elvin, who is a National Rifle Association supporter but also a strong advocate for women like his sister. Elvin has since courageously championed common-sense gun laws, like universal background checks, that help domestic violence victims and could have prevented the loss of his sister.
Zina’s story shocked the nation and made national headlines, but it also hit home in a real way for families of victims who have endured similar tragedies. Unfortunately, Zina’s story is not uncommon. Last year in my home state of Wisconsin, Zina was among 52 deaths that resulted from 38 domestic violence homicide incidents. Each month on average, 46 women are shot to death by an intimate partner in our country, and abused women are five times more likely to be killed if the abuser owns a firearm.
This is not a new realization of a grave problem. The danger posed by a gun in the hands of a domestic violence abuser has long been recognized as a serious threat to the public safety of women. In the 1990s, Congress took steps to address this issue by making it a federal prohibition to possess a dangerous firearm when an abuser becomes convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, or when an abuser is subject to a full protection order.