LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Governor Joe Lombardo will hold a press conference on Thursday to address the recent rise in domestic violence-related crimes across the valley.
Gov. Lombardo will speak alongside the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and SafeNest, a non-profit support organization for domestic violence survivors. Assemblywoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong and Assemblywoman Selena Torres of the Nevada State Legislature will also be in attendance.
As of September 29, 2023, 25 victims died from domestic violence. In comparison to this time last year, 17 people were killed in domestic violence incidents, a 47% increase, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Murder Stat Sheet.
For years, the Violence Policy Center ranked Nevada No.1 in the country with the most domestic violence homicides.
By 2017, the state’s ranking dropped to 4th, with 21 people reported killed in a domestic violence incident. About 52% of those deaths were by an intimate partner with a firearm. That year, Nevada passed a law prohibiting possession of firearms by persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
In 2020, Nevada dropped out of the top 10 states with the most domestic violence-related homicides, landing at a ranking of 18.
In the press conference, state leaders will also discuss new legislation and prevention strategies to curb the increase in domestic violence deaths and incidents.
The event is being held at the SafeNest office on 3900 Meadows Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89107, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
