U.S. Attorney announces ‘Safe Summer Program’ to address gun violence in the warmer months

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)– U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced a program called Summer Safe 2024, that will address the rise in gun violence.

Officials say the purpose of this program is to federally prosecute all firearm offenders who possess criminal guns, due to increasing gun violence, and to help keep people safe this summer.

“Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for youth in America and has inflicted immense
trauma on communities across Michigan,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “While we will
never prosecute our way out of the gun violence epidemic, Safe Summer 2024 is a part of the
solution and is focused on deterring and holding accountable those few individuals driving
violence.”

“Safety is a civil right. Your zip code should not determine whether you can walk down the street without fear of gunfire. My team and our partners will not rest until every person, in every neighborhood, in every community is safe from violence.”

Officials say the program will prosecute all cases that satisfy these two criteria: a federal firearms offense, which are common offenses like felon in possession and possession of machine gun, and any gun previously fired in the commission of a crime.

“I’ve long said that Lansing has a three-pronged approach to handling gun violence – Prevention, Intervention, and Justice,” said City of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.

“This also must be a multi-level approach with local, state, and federal officials collaborating to combat this issue. By working together, we can ensure that those who commit gun crimes are prosecuted and taken off our streets.”

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