Twelve Ohio mayors are asking Gov. Mike DeWine to take action on gun control.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Lancaster Mayor Don McDaniel are among the members of the Ohio Mayors Alliance that signed the letter.
The mayors wrote to DeWine this week with five recommendations.
They want DeWine to create statewide research to provide cities with data about gun violence, including homicides, suicides and accidental deaths.
The letter calls for the state to increase grants to communities to help them create data-driven programs to reduce violent crime, and promote awareness among gun owners requiring them to report lost and stolen guns.
The mayors also want DeWine to encourage state lawmakers to take on legislative changes aimed at reducing gun violence and incentivize more police departments to share information about guns involved in crimes with a state-tracing database.
"Over the last two years, our cities have made significant investments in public safety and our local law enforcement professionals have made great strides to reduce violent crime in our communities. In most cities across Ohio, firearm-related homicides have decreased this year. However, as the summer months have begun, we have seen a troubling spasm of gun violence in our communities, which has resulted in multiple homicides, at least three separate mass shootings, and numerous victims under the age of 18," the letter states.
The letter also that guns are too accessible and are now the leading cause of death of children and youth in Ohio. It also says firearms alone are not to blame for the increase in violence and that offenders need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
DeWine's office did not reply to a request seeking comment.
Mayors in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron and Youngstown are among the other signatories on the letter.
