Serving our country in uniform, I’ve seen the damage firearms can do in the wrong hands. As a gun owner myself, I know what responsible gun ownership looks like, and I’ve tirelessly worked to end gun violence in our communities.

I was chief co-patron of our Universal Background Checks bill and an Extreme Risk Protective Orders bill that empowered our police to ensure that dangerous individuals don’t have access to firearms. I was also chief co-patron of Virginia’s assault weapons ban that sought to get weapons of war off Virginia streets.

We have made great progress so far, but it is critical we continue to ensure that Virginia’s laws will keep Virginians safe from gun violence. Three times a year, my wife has to huddle in a corner of her classroom with her students for active shooter drills. Drills like these belong in military training, not in our schools.