MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The United States Surgeon General declared gun violence as a public health crisis on Tuesday, after the growing number of injuries from shootings and mass shootings around the country so far this summer.

Unfortunately, gun violence is something many in the Mid-South are quite familiar with.

One of those people is Brittney Ireland, a mother of four children who were shot during a road rage incident that occurred earlier this month.

“I don’t have time to cry,” Ireland said. “It’s just like, ya gotta deal with it. So, that’s what I’m doing. I’m dealing with it.”

She is like so many Americans who have to deal with the ripple effects of violence.

“It affects the family members,” Dr. Nick Watkins, a Pediatric Emergency Surgeon with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital said. “It affects the community.”

So, when the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis, Dr. Watkins said it was the right decision.

“I think it’s a terrific step in the right direction in the efforts to curb gun violence,” Dr. Watkins said.

Dr. Watkins told WREG that he believes that gun violence has already been a public health crisis in Memphis.

“I think we have seen it firsthand,” Dr. Watkins said.

However, Dr. Watkins also acknowledged that the issue is not just limited to the Bluff City.

Just days ago, four people were killed and 10 others were injured in a mass shooting outside of a grocery store in Arkansas.

A little more than a week ago, nine people were injured in a shooting at a Michigan splash pad.

But, Dr. Watkins said that here at home, the high rate of gun violence can’t be ignored.

Sadly, these issues trickle down to our most vulnerable population, the children.

“Last year was a record high number of gunshot wounds treated at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital,” Dr. Watkins said. “So, I think we’ve been dealing with this for quite a while, really since the start of the pandemic.”

In his address, the Surgeon General called for changed laws and gun control.

When WREG asked Dr. Watkins if he thought the address would make a difference, he said he was optimistic changes would occur.

“When we think back to prior advisories, such as the tobacco advisory back in 1964 and we look at the outcome of that, that probably led to a decrease and 75 percent reduction of smoking, saving eight million lives because of that,” Dr. Watkins said. “So, you can only imagine what kind of impact it would have if we could have a 75 percent reduction in firearm violence.”

WREG reached out to Memphis Police for the latest homicide and murder numbers this year. So far, we have not heard back.