Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order on Wednesday that requires state agencies to review data on gun-related deaths and hospitalizations in an effort to come up with strategies to combat gun violence in Washington.
Inslee said at a press conference that gun violence has become too “commonplace,” citing shootings last year at Seattle Pacific University, which left one dead and several injured, as well as the deaths of five teenagers at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
“It doesn’t need to be this way,” Inslee said.
The executive order requires several agencies, including the Department of Health and the Department of Social and Health Services, to collect and review data on deaths and injuries from firearms. The agencies are directed to come up with prevention and safety strategies.
The order also directs the Department of Health to begin implementing a statewide suicide prevention plan that focuses on at-risk populations, including schools, veterans and Native Americans.
Inslee also wants to strengthen the state’s background check law approved by voters in 2014 and analyze the effectiveness of current gun laws.
Read the full executive order here.