A 1996 shooting shaped a father's survival and a call for gun reform
The author recounts his father's 1996 shooting, his long hospital stay, and his ongoing advocacy for stricter background checks.
At a Pennsylvania home in late November 1996, the author's father was shot while confronting an intruder, leading to a severe abdominal injury that required extensive surgery and a prolonged hospital stay of 11 months, including a feeding tube. Family members disputed the appropriate course of treatment, but the father survived and was discharged from intensive care within weeks. The ordeal prompted the author to adopt a monthly fasting practice and later complete his college degree while raising his own children.
Reflecting on the incident, he urges renewed attention to gun-safety legislation, referencing a 2013 bipartisan proposal for universal background checks. The piece also notes the upcoming release of his memoir in August.
Why it matters
Personal trauma highlights the ongoing debate over gun safety and the need for effective background checks.
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