Last month, Columbia saw the deadliest month from gun violence since 2001. There were more deaths in September 2019 than the entire previous year.
As gun violence rises, addressing mental health continues to be discussed in tandem with gun control. On Friday, the mayors of St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield met with Governor Mike Parson to address the problem of violent crime in their communities.
This week on Talking Politics, Sidney Steele sits down with MU Professor of Communications Dr. Cassandra Kearney to discuss her research on the construction of rhetoric surrounding mass shootings and how legislators have been discussing increasing gun violence in Missouri.