Gun Violence Prevention: Glossary of Terms

The following is a glossary of terms as used by the Gun Violence Task Force:

Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Programs are evidence-based programs that identify and support people at risk for violence by helping them peacefully resolve conflicts, and by connecting them to local resources like employment, education, trauma support, and housing. In North Carolina, CVI program 7 types include Violence Interruption programs and Hospital-Based Violence Intervention programs. In our Diocese, the cities of Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Durham have CVI programs – but more programs in more places are urgently needed.

Ghost gun: “[A] firearm that is produced by a private individual rather than a corporate or government entity. The term is used mostly in the United States by gun control advocates, but it is increasingly being used by gun rights advocates and some in the firearm industry. Because home-manufacture of firearms for personal use is not considered to fall under the U.S. federal government’s authority to regulate interstate, as opposed to intrastate, commerce per the Commerce Clause, individuals making their own firearms are not subject to federal or state background commercial check regulations.” (Wikipedia)

Semi-automatic, military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines: “An ‘assault weapon’ refers to a semi-automatic gun designed for military use and quick, efficient killing. Assault weapons are uniquely lethal because of their rapid rate of fire and high muzzle velocity — coupled with high-capacity magazines, which attach to an assault weapon to allow dozens of gunshots without needing to reload. A high-capacity magazine is typically defined as any magazine or drum that is capable of holding more than either 10 or 15 rounds of ammunition.” (Brady United: "What Are Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines?")