Just like all forms of gun violence, domestic violence does not impact all populations equally, it is subject to racial disparities. These racial disparities exist because of systemic racism that deliberately created political and social structures that put women of color at greater risk of abuse or exploitation. 55% of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced domestic violence, the highest rate of any ethnic group, and a rate 5 times greater than the rate at which white women experience domestic violence.(8) Black women are 2.5 times more likely to experience domestic violence than White Women, with an estimated 30% of Black women experiencing domestic violence in their lifetime.(9) It’s estimated that between 40-60% of Asian and Pacific Islander women, and 23% of Latinx women experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.(10)

There is a strong link between domestic violence and mass shootings. Researchers have found that between 2014-2019, 59% of all mass shooting incidents were domestic violence related, and in 68% of mass shootings, the shooter either killed at least one partner or family member, or had a history of domestic violence.(11) Strong laws to prevent individuals with a history of domestic abuse from accessing guns are just one aspect of a multifaceted approach that is needed to address this issue.