Barr & Shores Target Gun-Toting Abusers in New Federal Task Force

TULSA, OK – The feds are cracking down. Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced the formation of a Domestic Violence Working Group today, signaling a zero-tolerance policy for abusers who illegally possess firearms. The move, framed as a direct response to the escalating cycle of violence in domestic disputes, aims to leverage federal prosecutions to supplement existing state, local, and tribal efforts.

“Too often, domestic abusers start with threats and abuse, and end up committing extreme violence and even homicide, with devastating impact on families and the community around them,” Barr stated. The working group, operating under the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), will be spearheaded by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox and comprised of nine U.S. Attorneys nationwide. Their mandate: to dissect the issue and pinpoint the most effective use of federal gun prosecutions and other legal tools.

Shores, speaking from Oklahoma, didn’t mince words. “Domestic violence abusers often escalate from fists to firearms. They drive-up violent crime numbers across a number of categories, including sexual assault and homicide.” He highlighted the particularly acute problem in Indian Country, where Native American women and children face disproportionately higher rates of victimization. Shores emphasized his personal experience as a career prosecutor witnessing the long-lasting trauma inflicted not only on victims but also on children exposed to domestic violence.

Federal law already prohibits convicted felons and individuals under certain domestic violence protective orders or convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning guns. However, the path to prosecution isn’t always clear. The feds are facing challenges due to differing definitions of domestic violence between federal and state laws, requiring intricate legal maneuvering. The working group’s task is to streamline this process and share best practices across jurisdictions. Research is damning: abusers with access to firearms are five times more likely to kill their partners, and over half of mass shootings are linked to extreme domestic violence.

Shores detailed a localized initiative already underway in Tulsa, a partnership with the Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Leading the charge within the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Assistant United States Attorney and Tribal Liaison Shannon Cozzoni, lauded by Shores as a “talented prosecutor” with a dedication to both victim advocacy and preventative community services. “Our working group will look at how to strategically use federal gun prosecutions involving domestic abusers to protect victims, prevent homicides, and generally lower our violent crime rates in America,” Shores said.

The Working Group’s membership includes Scott W. Brady, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Nicola T. Hanna, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, among others. The group will not only focus on prosecution but also on outreach to local law enforcement, judges, and non-profit organizations to foster a unified front against domestic violence and its deadly consequences. The Department of Justice views disarming abusers as a critical step towards reducing overall violence in America.