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Attorneys General Meet in DC to Discuss Curbing Gun Violence

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While Virginia's legislature got back to work this week, the state's executive branch continues to try to tackle gun violence on its own.
In a first of its kind meeting, Attorneys General from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. met in Washington today to discuss how the regions can work together to reduce gun-related crime and deaths.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says reducing gun violence isn't just about preventing mass shootings.

"This is also about lives that are changed and cut short every single day on the streets of our cities, and the suburbs, and the neighborhoods of the places we represent,” said Herring at a press conference in D.C.

To help that effort each of the attorney generals from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. agreed to appoint a staff member, responsible for sharing information among the three offices.

"And to establish a timeline for how we can establish regular substantive communication to make sure we are doing everything we can to get illegal guns off the streets and keep them out of the hands of dangerous individuals and criminals,” said Herring.

Herring acknowledged that information sharing may not seem like a concrete action, but he says collaborating could help the state catch and prosecute illegal gun dealers who may be working across state lines.

Mallory Noe-Payne is a Radio IQ reporter based in Richmond.
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