OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — American Public Square hosted a discussion Wednesday night on addressing gun violence in public spaces.
Whether it's a grocery store, a school, or crowds enjoying a night in a Kansas City entertainment district, finding a solution to a local and national problem was top of mind for this panel.
An emotional topic produced an emotional conversation in Johnson County.
"There's too many damn guns," Jeron Ravin, Swope Health CEO, said.
Caleb Daniels, the marketing coordinator for Frontier Justice, also weighed in on the issue.
"Firearms are tools and they are effectively used to stop threats, that is a true statement," Daniels said.
Statements in front of a full house touched every public space, including houses of worship.
"Half of my members own guns, and the other half don't, but it matters and I see faces when I think about this and I think we're smart enough, we should find some solutions to help," Pastor Adam Hilton, with the Church of Resurrection, said.
Publicly elected officials were present as well, hoping to help lift the cloud of the threat of gun violence in any public space.
"There are sensible solutions such as background checks on all gun sales," Kansas Rep. Jo Ella Hoye said. "Some of these extreme laws have taken away those local public safety decisions from those who know their communities best."
Gun sellers like Frontier Justice say one solution is to secure all public areas with more armed personnel.
"We work at Frontier Justice with a variety of security teams from churches to grocery stores, actually to help secure those public spaces and ensure that everyone there, including employees, are perfectly safe and get to go about their day without the threat of violence," Daniels said.
Public health leaders say their area of expertise is where tackling the topic is critical.
"I honestly think we need to focus on issues prior to individuals seeking that type of tragedy," Ravin said. "We're talking about depression, anxiety, isolation — those are the issues we're trying to combat."
Every panelist agreed that easing anxieties about safely entering a public space without the threat of gun violence is a priority across the Kansas City area.
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