Local

Could research be answer to gun violence? Jacksonville doctor pushes for funding

The local medical community is looking toward science to help solve one of the most pressing issues plaguing Jacksonville -- gun violence.

The murder of 7-year-old Heydi Rivas Villanueva has once again thrown the issue back into the spotlight. Her death has outraged community members.

But what is really being done to stop the violence?

STORYJSO arrests third suspect in murder of 7-year-old Jacksonville girl

Dr. Sunil Joshi, the President of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, said research could be the answer.

Studying the root of a problem as complex as gun violence is a huge undertaking, but Joshi said it’s absolutely necessary.

“Part of our mission is to improve the health of the community and how do you improve the health of the community if you're not helping the youngest people?” Joshi said.

Joshi, an immunologist, is one of several local doctors who are pushing to try to repeal the Dickey amendment named after former U.S. Representative Jay Dickey.

The amendment says that no federal money given to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for injury prevention can be used to advocate for or promote gun control.

Joshi said the amendment has stopped much of the research for the last 20 years.

“There has been some wording recently that suggested the CDC can do research into gun violence but they're concerned that, if they do that, they're going to stop getting funding,” Joshi said.

Joshi believes gun violence can be studied much like car accidents are investigated.

“We learned through (the) years that seat belts save lives. That’s why we recommend seat belts,” Joshi said. But he said recommendations can’t happen unless there’s a dedicated source of funding for research.

“Having pilot cities like Jacksonville would be perfect because we are like the dichotomy of America. We have our great parts of town and we have horrible parts of town and that is kind of the United States,” Joshi said.

Joshi said the doctors will likely face difficult challenges in getting the Dickey Amendment repealed, which is why they’re looking at other sources of funding, such as getting foundations and large trauma centers involved, so they can begin conducting objective research on gun violence.