Missy Jenkins Smith

On Dec. 1, 1997, my twin sister Mandy and I were attending a prayer circle in the lobby of our high school, Heath, in West Paducah. It was part of our routine every day school was in session during our sophomore year, but that morning was unlike any other. A 14-year-old boy brought a .22 hand gun, rifles and a sawed-off shotgun wrapped in a blanket. He pulled the .22 out of his backpack and opened fire as we ended our prayer and headed to class. He hit eight students, killing three.

I was one of the most seriously wounded. The bullet entered into my left shoulder, bouncing around in my body (that’s what I learned a .22 can do), missing my heart, hitting my lung, then passing perfectly in between my esophagus and aorta, hitting my spinal cord, and then exiting on the right side of my back — not even leaving my shirt. My injury left me paralyzed from the chest down. Little did I know how much that day would change my life forever.

It has been 26 years since that day. I spent five months in the hospital recovering from my injury and learning to use the wheelchair so I could live my life again. It forced a huge lifestyle change not only for me, but for my family as well. Every day they now must consider me and my wheelchair first as they make decisions. I am now married and have two boys ages 13 and 16. Instead of me taking care of them, they have had to take care of me. After years of overuse of my arms due to the wheelchair, I have injuries such as a torn rotator cuff, a torn tendon and severe carpel tunnel, which make it very difficult to do simple things like dressing and transferring in and out of my wheelchair. I am only 42 years old, and I’m scared of what my future may bring.

Although I have had to deal with life in a wheelchair, I have been inspired to use my experience to help prevent future gun violence. I became a motivational speaker and an author of two books titled, “I Choose to be Happy” and “Lessons from a School Shooting Survivor.” I also became a school counselor for at-risk middle and high school students, hoping I could help students like the shooter who desperately needed someone to talk to.

That’s where the Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention Bill comes in — Senate Bill 13. CARR supports responsible gun ownership by providing time and help for those at risk of harming themselves or others. The shooter at my school had access to firearms and used them as he dealt with mental health issues. He thought the only solution was to harm others by using a firearm, but the only thing he accomplished was making a decision that put him behind bars for life and forced others to live out the consequences of his decision.

More than 30 years of research tells us that 80% of mass shooters express their intent to others. With CARR in place, family or friends can take action before those kinds of life-changing decisions are made. They can ask a court to transfer a person’s guns to another trusted party — until the mental crisis has passed, and it’s safe for that person to have their guns again. And when a minor is threatening harm, CARR can ensure any gun owners in the home secure firearms to prevent access. The bill protects a gun owner’s rights as well as their safety — and the safety of others.

Gun violence ends so many young lives before they can even begin and permanently alters the lives of those who remain. CARR can help change that, and we should ask Senate President Stivers, Speaker Osborne, and Members of the Kentucky General Assembly to put this critical tool in place.

Karen Tutt

My name is Karen Tutt, and I support CARR as a reasonable and common ground approach to reduce gun violence in our communities. My husband, Jim Tutt, was murdered on April 10th, 2023, at Old National Bank where he worked. Jim Tutt was an amazing man – he loved the Lord and his family with his whole heart. Jim was kind, generous, and brilliant, and I am devastated by my loss. HE JUST WENT TO WORK like any other ordinary day. HE JUST WENT TO WORK, and was sitting in a meeting, and in less than 30 seconds, ten people were shot and five of them were violently ripped from this life for absolutely no reason.  Police officers were also injured as they upheld their duty to protect and serve.

 Jim and others were brutally killed by someone who legally and easily purchased a deadly assault weapon. The shooter had KNOWN mental health concerns and suicidal ideation. While no solution will stop all attacks, CARR can stop many. With more than 80% of mass shooters signaling their intentions in advance, CARR could be a valuable tool to intervene and prevent loss of innocent life.  

How many times do we have to hear the same story of death and violence before we act? It is possible to pass legislation that balances upholding the Second Amendment and requires responsible regulation of guns. With CARR legislation, we can reduce suicides and violence against innocent people. My husband JUST WENT TO WORK. We should all be safe to do the same.

Nate Haney

My family and I wholeheartedly support Whitney/Strong and its efforts to protect innocent lives through CARR.  We live in a fallen, imperfect world and CARR is a useful tool to help circumvent the suicide and homicide of innocent people.  We are honored to support Whitney/Strong as it has meaningful conversations to bring about positive change which ultimately will make our communities safer.

Jason Hall

As Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, I represent and assist the Commonwealth’s four Catholic bishops and Catholic agencies in advocating for just public policy and advancing the common good. Previously, I served as Deputy General Counsel for the State Senate Majority Leadership. I have been involved in the development of policy at the state level for 18 years.

Gun violence is an issue that proves difficult because there are so many conflicting concerns and competing rights. Many Kentuckians value their right to bear arms and are wary of anything that could be seen as infringing on that right. At the same time, firearms uniquely enhance one’s ability to do harm to oneself and others. As a pro-life Kentuckian, I believe it is a moral imperative that we find effective ways to save lives threatened by gun violence.

CARR balances respect for second amendment rights and principles of due process while providing real tools to prevent deaths by suicide or mass shootings. It provides law enforcement an effective tool to intervene to prevent gun violence while ensuring due process to respect everyone’s 2nd Amendment rights. This is a proposal that can bring together Kentuckians with a variety of views on firearms and save lives.

Quinones Corniel

I spent close to six (6) years serving as a law enforcement officer in the Louisville community, serving communities most affected by gun violence. These just so happen to be the same communities where I grew up. Not only have I seen the effects of gun violence on family members and close friends, but I too am a survivor of gun violence. 

We must stop playing politics with the lives of Kentuckians and unite to support real change. The CARR bill ensures those who need help the most receive it, and law enforcement is in a better position to transfer firearms away from those at the highest risk. Gun violence is a public health issue, affecting survivors and family members in a plethora of ways far past the date of incident. We must take any necessary action(s) to prevent its recurrence in our communities.

Impetus

Impetus is proud to stand with Whitney Strong and support common sense reforms that can keep communities safer across the Commonwealth.  As a diverse group of education, faith, and business leaders from Louisville, we know too well that public safety is directly tied to a thriving and successful city.  This year Louisville has seen tremendous tragedies resulting from firearms like no other year in our history.  At the same time, we’ve heard from our brave men and women in law enforcement that they are exhausted with being out armed by civilians and they need new policy solutions to support their work to keep our city safe.  It is for these reasons that we urge lawmakers to support CARR, a critical piece of legislation.

Dr. Sheila Schuster

I have worked with Whitney Austin and the initial cosponsors of the CARR legislation, Senators Morgan McGarvey and Paul Hornback, at its inception.  Through every step in the process, I have been extremely impressed with Whitney’s openness to input from the mental health community and our suggestions for making the CARR legislation a viable bill that can be effective in reducing gun deaths in Kentucky due to suicide and mass shootings.  The legislation walks a fine line in both upholding the Second Amendment rights of gun owners in providing due process protections, while giving law enforcement a tool to intervene by removing guns at a time of extreme stress and risk that the individual will use the firearms to do harm to self or others.

As a psychologists and mental health advocate, I am painfully aware of the stigma of mental illness and the confusion in the minds of many people that mass shooters are undoubtedly mentally ill.  This is not the case and the CARR legislation does a very good job of not adding to nor reinforcing that false narrative.  Persons with mental illness are ten times more likely to be the victim of violence crimes, rather than their perpetrators.  CARR identifies moments of crisis and seeks to remove the firearms temporarily at that point in time, while affording the individual the opportunity for help in dealing with their crisis.  This is what needs to happen for their protection and assistance and to protect potential victims!

Unfortunately, suicide rates in Kentucky have been on the incline since the pandemic across almost every demographic, including our youth.  The research is very clear:  when a firearm is available to an individual who is in crisis and experiencing suicidal ideation, it is the most frequent source of deaths by suicide (55% in 2021).  We also know that these individuals, if they are not successful in their suicide attempt, will often not attempt suicide again.  CARR legislation would make it possible for family members and others close to the individual to notify law enforcement to have the guns removed at the time of crisis, thus saving lives.

For all of these reasons, I am a strong supporter of the CARR legislation and will be working to advocate for its passage in the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly session!

Mac Brown

To the Joint Judiciary Committee,

Because I could not attend the Joint Judiciary Committee meeting today due to a family commitment, I offer my statement of support for CARR.

Like many Americans, I am and have been a gun owner since my youth.  I strongly believe in the 2nd Amendment and our right to keep and bear arms, but unfortunately this freedom is clashing with the mental health crisis society is facing. 

I have learned from personal experience that a person who is dealing with serious mental health issues loses perspective and often does not make rational judgement.  Their loss of control often goes to the point where they do not realize they are hurting someone else or themselves, even to the point of death.  Consequently, like most Americans, I believe society needs to put in place a system that will help these individuals and protect the lives of possible victims while respecting 2nd Amendment rights.

The Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention Bill or CARR offers the best process, and I encourage your involvement in improving it. Most individuals who are dealing with mental health issues give some sign of their future harmful intentions and CARR provides a tool to intervene. While CARR will not solve all potential harmful incidences, it has the ability to have a serious impact, especially when it comes to suicide. 

From my perspective I do not see CARR as legislation that takes away our right but rather one that protects our right, the right to Life. I ask that the members of this joint committee and the remaining members of the House and Senate seriously consider the ramifications the problem mental health is causing society and pass this bill.

Sincerely

Mac Brown

Harrods Creek, Kentucky 

Dr. Maryanne Elliott

I believe in the Power of One - a belief that is used throughout my work as an Executive Coach. This belief centers on the idea that one person can make an impact on the lives of others. I invite each of you to be the one by attending the hearing on December 15. CARR provides a compassionate approach to crisis intervention, and I know it will save lives from suicide and more.

Jeff Barrick

The reason I support this legislation is because as humans, we adapt to our surroundings.  It is time for change, and I believe this bill will change our lives for the better.  My brother, Josh Barrick, was one of the 5 murdered on April 10th during the Old National massacre in Louisville Kentucky. Josh simply went to work the day after spending a week with his beloved family and friends on Spring Break.  We never saw him again.  Josh was a person that lit up the room when he entered it--full of fun, humor, and light. This tragedy has darkened our lives forever. We all miss him so much. 

Gun violence in Kentucky is tearing lives apart. One side blames mental health, while the other blames guns for these senseless tragedies. Let’s come together and address both with this bill that truly makes sense.  It allows family and friends the ability to remove the firearms from an individual who is suffering from a mental health crisis so they can get the help they need before a tragedy ensues.

My wife is a preschool teacher whose school was on heightened security for an extended period because of an individual who was suffering from a suspected mental health crisis.  Teachers and parents were in fear another tragedy would occur.  We shouldn’t have to be afraid to go to work or send our kids to school.  We can address these issues before they become a senseless tragedy and the CARR Act will prevent families from having to have one less person at the dinner table.  While this will certainly not bring my brother back, it will allow families across Kentucky to keep that seat filled.

Brittney Thomas

I support CARR because saving lives is personal to me. On December 1, 1997 I survived the Heath High School shooting in Paducah, Kentucky. Sadly three others did not, including my best friend, Nicole. I so badly want to prevent the loss of more innocent lives.

 CARR is special as it is truly a common ground solution bringing all sides together. I get excited thinking about having a real chance at passing legislation that can make Kentucky safer! Please join me on 12/15 in Frankfort for the Interim Joint Judiciary Hearing as we create common good for the Commonwealth!

Kirsten Russell CARR Champion

The reason I wholeheartedly support the passage of the CARR Law in Kentucky is incredibly personal. This law could have saved my mother’s life.

In April 2018, my mentally ill brother shot her to death in her home. We had tried unsuccessfully for years to help him while he continued to grow more delusional. But because he was a law abiding citizen with no previous criminal history, he was able to purchase many firearms. This concerned us to say the least. But we had no ability to take his firearms from him.

When he became homeless just two weeks before he took my mother’s life, she took him into her home to try and help him. If we could have taken possession of his firearms until he got the help he so desperately needed, there could have been a different outcome to our story. My mom is gone when she should not be.

How many times do we hear that a family knew someone was struggling mentally before they committed a mass shooting? How many times were there warning signs reported that could have saved lives if there was an option to transfer the firearms away before the person acted?

This is not about blaming the gun itself as we know there are many responsible gun owners who would never harm someone else. This is about preventing innocent lives from being taken by someone in a crisis with access to a firearm.

Just as we cannot blame it all on the gun, we also cannot blame it all on mental illness. Mental illness exists all over the world but this issue is unique to America because of our easy access to firearms.

Just as we immediately changed our airport security in the wake of September 11th, the time has come to change our laws to prevent future tragedies. We owe it to future generations to solve this horrific issue. CARR is a huge first step in doing so.