by Earl Bloodworth, CT Mirror
June 26, 2026

When we talk about gun violence in Connecticut, we often talk about it in numbers.

We count the shell casings left on a New Haven street corner, the number of illegal firearms recovered by police, or the roll-call votes in the General Assembly.

But gun violence does not exist in a vacuum. Like a rock thrown into a pond, its ripples reverberate far beyond a single tragic night. While a headline captures the finality of a death, the living are left to carry a trauma that is constant, heavy, and deeply unfair.

That is why the passage of House Bill 5043 — now signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont — is a profound victory for public safety, but also a moment that requires us to look more closely at what it actually takes to heal communities facing this ongoing public health crisis.

At its core, HB 5043 closes a dangerous gap by targeting “convertible pistols” and the illegal conversion switches that transform standard handguns into fully automatic weapons in seconds. By making the importation and sale of these convertible handguns a Class D felony, Connecticut is refusing to let the gun industry outpace our commitment to keeping families safe.

While critics argue federal laws already cover these devices, the reality on the ground is that criminals actively exploit these specific pistol designs. Ignoring this flood of easily altered firearms into our neighborhoods is like acknowledging a flood but refusing to patch the hole in the levee.

But as the Executive Director of CT Against Gun Violence, I know that legislation alone cannot be the silver bullet. Passing a law stops a specific product; it does not automatically heal a neighborhood. We need to get to the root of the problem.

Before leading CAGV, my career was rooted deeply in reentry services in New Haven and Bridgeport. I spent years working alongside justice-impacted individuals who were trying to rebuild their lives. I saw firsthand how systemic disinvestment, poverty, and a lack of baseline economic opportunity fuel the precise conditions where illegal gun markets and interpersonal violence thrive.

When returning citizens face hundreds of legal barriers to housing, employment, and basic stability, we are failing to address the root causes of the trauma that spills onto our streets.

True violence prevention requires a dual approach. We must advocate fiercely for common-sense, life-saving policies like HB 5043 in the halls of the General Assembly. But we must match that advocacy with unprecedented, sustained investments in community-based programs, street-level violence interrupters, and robust reentry support.

Connecticut has taken a powerful step in this direction by committing $4 million in state investment to gun violence prevention infrastructure, alongside the creation of the state’s Office of Firearm Injury Prevention. This allows us to view gun violence not just as a criminal issue but through a dedicated public health lens as an epidemic that demands deep community resources.

The passage of HB 5043 is an essential shield. It disrupts the pipeline of rapidly militarized firearms and keeps high-velocity danger out of circulation. But a shield only protects you from the blow; it doesn’t cure the underlying illness.

As this new law takes effect, let’s celebrate the political courage it took to pass it. But let’s also let it serve as a reminder of the work that remains. We must continue to build bridges, fund grassroots community intervention, and ensure that every resident in every Connecticut zip code has the safety, dignity, and opportunity they deserve. Only then will the ripples of trauma finally begin to recede.

Earl Bloodworth is the Executive Director of CT Against Gun Violence (CAGV).

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Solnit workers say violent disturbances followed staffing warnings at the Middletown youth psychiatric facility 

NBC Connecticut Investigates is looking into safety concerns at the Solnit Children’s Center South Campus in Middletown after workers say two violent disturbances left multiple staff members hurt. 

More than half a dozen employees have gone out on workers’ comp due to the incidents, according to union delegates who work at the facility. 

Those workers say the warning signs were there before this all happened. 

The Solnit South hospital treats children ages 13 to 17 with severe mental illnesses and other issues. 

Two employees who are also SEIU 1199 union delegates told NBC Connecticut Investigates that staff had repeatedly raised concerns about staffing levels. 

They said they were not at the facility when the two most recent disturbances happened, but said the incidents were reported to them by co-workers who were there. 

“Some staff right now are just like in awe,” said Saleena White, a Solnit child services worker. “Some people who’ve been here 25, 30 years have never seen this.”

Darnell Ford, a lead child services worker at Solnit, said the situation is frightening. “It terrifies me.”

The union delegates said one disturbance happened on June 14 and another happened on June 20. 

They said the June 14 incident was especially serious and left 11 people hurt. 

White described a chaotic scene involving patients attacking staff, multiple restraints happening at once, and too few workers available to respond. 

After the first incident, the union sent an email to DCF Commissioner Susan Hamilton and others warning that another disturbance could happen. 

The union’s email said there were more than 130 coverage gaps for the weekend of June 20 and June 21. 

It also said the hospital superintendent was “downplaying our members’ injuries at every turn.” 

Ford said workers had been raising concerns long before the recent disturbances. 

“We have been talking about something unfortunate like this happening for at least the last two years,” Ford said. 

Both White and Ford testified to state lawmakers in February about what they described as severe staffing issues. 

In written testimony, Ford said workers had seen youth create weapons out of whatever they could get their hands on. 

White wrote that the units often feel like “a war zone.” 

State Sen. Matt Lesser, a Middletown Democrat, said a large percentage of DCF staff at Solnit South have been hurt on the job. 

Lesser said the legislature’s Appropriations Committee provided DCF with another $1 million in funding, in part because of issues at Solnit relayed to him by workers there. 

“That funding was not funding that DCF requested,” Lesser said. 

“DCF needs to come up and be honest to say what they need, so they can create a safe environment,” Lesser said. 

DCF told NBC Connecticut Investigates that Solnit South’s hospital is now under UConn Health after Solnit’s hospital license was transferred to UConn Health in April. 

That leaves a key question: whether DCF shared the staffing warnings it received with UConn Health. 

There is also a girls’ residential facility on the Solnit campus. 

After the two hospital disturbances, workers at the residential facility filed a working-under-protest form saying they were still severely understaffed. 

Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at UConn Health and DCF’s Hamilton, issued a statement regarding Solnit:

Providing safe, high-quality care for the youth at Solnit Hospital remains our highest priority.  

Solnit Hospital became a part of UConn Health on April 15, 2026, and in partnership with the Department of Children and Families, we are working to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care in a safe and supportive environment.  While there were behavioral incidents in June, the staff handled these incidents appropriately and all patients remained safe. 

Leadership from DCF, UConn Health, and other state officials have been working continuously to understand and address the concerns of frontline workers, which includes enhancing staffing. We view the unions as valued partners in supporting the effective operation of Solnit hospital and we will continue to consult with them on these efforts as part of a collaborative relationship that brings all stakeholders to the table.