Looking for lessons in Newtown
In the wake of Friday’s rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., during which 28 people died, including 20 children, Americans are simultaneously searching for answers and calling for action. It was the second-deadliest such shooting case in U.S. history. Enter David Hemenway, professor of health policy at Harvard School of Public Health and author of “Private Guns, Public Health,” a 2006 book that summarized research on gun violence in America and outlined public-health-minded approaches to reducing firearms deaths. Hemenway’s work is again in the spotlight, as the country begins another contentious debate over gun control. “This is not how I wanted to be in demand,” Hemenway lamented Monday afternoon. He spoke with Gazette staff writer Katie Koch about what he sees as an epidemic of firearms violence. GAZETTE: You published “Private Guns, Public Health” six years ago. What were some of the most interesting or unexpected things you found...