NORFOLK, Va. — Domestic abuse happens in Hampton Roads. Domestic violence survivor and Portsmouth resident Jazmine Smith shared her story with News 3.
"I've had guns placed in my mouth or up to my head," said Smith. "I know that he shot the weapon before, I had seen him use the weapon before, so I knew that it worked. And I knew that on any given day that if he felt like it, he would use it."
Advocates said that kind of gun violence is often a key part of the abuse.
"Every survivor I have spoken with there was a gun present," said Trish Coffey, president of Women Against Violence, chairperson at Samaritan House. "It's used against them, or the abuser threatens to kill their victim or themselves. It happens way too frequently."
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"Now I am a gun owner, I am a legal gun owner, it blows my mind how easily [the abuser] was able to access all of these weapons that he would store in our home," added Smith.
Just as domestic abuse is prevalent in Hampton Roads, so is owning a gun.
"Right now, we are seeing a trend that people are purchasing firearms for defensive use either in their home or to carry concealed," explained Steven McGary, instructor at OnPoint Solutions and Training. "Some people are still just sport shooters."
The question has always been how to balance gun ownership with responsibility.
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Now there's a case before the U.S. Supreme Court that could have an impact on whether domestic abusers are allowed to own a gun.
Tuesday Justices heard oral arguments in U.S. v. Rahimi involving a Texas man, Zackey Rahimi whose ex-partner took out a restraining order against him before he was implicated in a series of shootings.
It's the first guns case since the expansion of gun rights in 2022. This time the court is considering whether disarming domestic abusers who have restraining orders is constitutional.
One side argues that barring abusers from guns is in line with longstanding practices of disarming dangerous people. The other side argues that limiting ownership violates the Second Amendment and doesn't fit the nation's history of gun regulation.
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Domestic violence survivors and gun owners in Hampton Roads aren't sure yet how the Supreme Court case could impact gun ownership in our area, but firearms instructors say if you're around guns it's always important to take safety precautions.
"You know, keeping your weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times, keeping your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot, knowing what is beyond your target," said McGary.
He added there's a variety of safety mechanisms available on the market ranging from gun safes to gun locks.
A decision in that Supreme Court case is expected to come in early next summer.
